On the Heights: October 2026

October 27, 2026

Stay informed with the latest from the University of Michigan School of Public Health community in our monthly digest. Faculty expertise in action, new research, policy advocacy, and community engagement highlight our continued commitment to advancing public health and creating positive change.

Policy impact & advocacy 

Strengthening teamwork across healthcare

Belle Aduaka, a Health Management and Policy MPH student, spent the summer working with Michigan Medicine teams through the Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. She evaluated teamwork and helped develop interventions to strengthen patient centered care. 

Who will rural voters blame for harmful healthcare changes, policies this election? 

Michael Shepherd, assistant professor of Health Management and Policy, studies how rural voters connect healthcare access and policy changes to their voting decisions. In a recent interview, he discussed how hospital closures and changes to healthcare programs could influence voters in the upcoming election.  

Dean Charles Holmes shares his vision for the future of Michigan Public Health

After returning to Michigan Public Health as dean, Charles Holmes, MPH ‘95, is looking at how the school can continue its work amid challenges like uncertainty around federal funding. 

The AI is listening: Implications of machine generated clinical notes on health care 

Jodyn Platt and Taofeeq Oluwatosin Togunwa are raising questions about how AI scribes could affect patient care. While the tools can save clinicians time, errors and gaps in how they process different accents and patient populations could affect medical records and lead to inequities in care.

Raj Panjabi discusses why community and trust are key to public health

The physician and author shared lessons from his work responding to health crises around the world. In a conversation with Dean Charles Holmes, he discussed how building trust with communities can help people prepare for emergencies, address barriers to care and respond to public health challenges.

In the media

Irene Hasenberg Butter, professor emerita of public health, dies at 95

After surviving the Holocaust as a child, Irene Hasenberg Butter dedicated her life to educating future generations about the dangers of hatred and discrimination. The professor emerita of public health became a prominent human rights advocate. 

Alison Miller highlights the importance of safe firearm storage

The professor of Health Behavior and Health Equity spoke with Healio about firearm storage in households with young children. Her team is also developing videos to help families learn about safe storage and prevent firearm injuries.

Flu clues: Digging into 15 years of household data

Emily Toth Martin, professor of Epidemiology, co-leads a new $14.2 million NIH-funded initiative to better understand how influenza spreads between people. The Michigan Center for Research in Influenza Transmission will analyze 15 years of data from Michigan households. 

Lynda Lisabeth on rising stroke rates among young adults

The professor of Epidemiology spoke with Newsweek about the rising rates of stroke among young adults. She discussed how increasing rates of diabetes and obesity may contribute to the trend. 

More than 167,000 Michiganders lose SNAP benefits amid new requirements

Department of Nutritional Sciences professors Jennifer Garner and Kate Bauer discuss how new work requirements and added paperwork are making it harder for Michigan families to keep their food assistance.

Michael Shepherd discusses rural health care and politics ahead of midterm elections

The assistant professor of Health Management and Policy discussed how politics and media coverage shape health care in rural communities during a recent Vanderbilt University event. 

Research highlights

Your chances of Alzheimer's disease vary based on where you live. Why is that?

Lindsay Kobayashi, associate professor of Epidemiology and Global Public Health, is leading a five-year, $32 million NIH-funded project comparing cognitive health data from 20 counties. The research aims to identify how social and health factors influence dementia risk and inform prevention strategies worldwide. 

Research highlights health and housing inequities among migrant farmworkers

Devon Payne-Sturges, professor of Environmental Health Sciences, co-authored a study examining the working conditions and health of migrant workers in Maryland. 

U-M Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention awarded $11.2M to expand critical research efforts

U-M’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention received $11.2 million in federal funding for seven projects focused on firearm safety and violence prevention.

Public health’s role in interprofessional education explored in new paper

Michigan Public Health alumna Vani Patterson, director of strategy and operations for U-M’s Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, and Olivia Anderson, clinical associate professor at Michigan Public Health, co-authored a new paper in the Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice. The paper argues that public health is a necessary partner to health care and that integrating it more intentionally into interprofessional education can strengthen collaboration and advance health equity.

Honors, fellowships & appointments

Chris Coombe to retire after advancing community-based public health research

The associate research scientist in Health Behavior and Health Equity will retire October 31 after spending her career helping communities and researchers work together to improve public health. 

Matt Boulton receives 2026 Champion of Health Equity Award by Authority Health

Boulton, the Pearl L. Kendrick Collegiate Professor of Global Public Health, has been named a recipient of Authority Health’s 2026 Champion of Health Equity Award, which recognizes leaders working to reduce health disparities and expand equitable access to care. Authority Health’s residents staff Federally Qualified Health Centers serving underserved patients in Detroit, and for the past decade Boulton has led the University of Michigan Certificate in Population Health and Health Equity that all of its second-year residents complete.