Michigan Public Health is built on diverse perspectives and community voices. We engage with countless fields and diverse populations, and together we help drive forward the dialogues that guide the future of public health.
Spotlight
The romanticism of global public health work, says Chinyere Neale, will not survive the pandemic nor the new forms of collaboration it has demanded of researchers. Knowing that we can do really good work from anywhere in the world—including our current location—is a good thing for public health.
Alex Parks came to public health with moral convictions. She now employs evidence, frameworks, and statistics to back them up. She’s also discovering the deep scientific value of stories, and the problems we create if we wait too long for overwhelming evidence.
Eating more fruits, vegetables, and nuts can make a meaningful impact on a person’s health—and the planet’s too. Crunching the numbers, two Michigan researchers have some recommendations on how to eat—one meal at a time—for health and environmental sustainability.
Parental action can help mitigate the risks of lead exposure. But drastic policy changes are needed in Detroit to stop children from facing negative health and nutritional outcomes associated with lead exposure.
Demand for public health professionals remains high, as does hiring for students graduating with public degrees. During the pandemic, some areas of public health have seen disruption in the services they provide. But this has also clarified our deep, ongoing need for those services.
As case numbers continue to drop, it’s important to remember that the pandemic isn’t over yet. With that in mind, how can teenagers—who are highly social and highly conscientious—be positive community leaders in our ongoing efforts to get back to some sense of normal.
India’s coronavirus problem is everyone’s problem. When a virus ravages one country this badly, it will affect others—and well beyond the spread of a disease. We must and will act on the responsibilities we have as a global community because disease is disease, love is love, and both are highly infectious.
Capacity building is a ubiquitous phrase in grant applications, communications, and guidelines for many global health initiatives. Too often the phrase connotes an assumption that “established” US partners build knowledge or practice in “less-resourced” communities. What language can we use to more honestly recognize the value and contributions of all collaborators?
Social unrest across the nation has given momentum to the newly revitalized anti-racist movement. Melissa Creary and Paul Fleming want to encourage public health educators and institutions to embrace anti-racist strategies in the classroom to positively impact the field. They're taking initiative with Project HEART to advocate for institutional and systemic changes that they believe will facilitate better health professionals and better health outcomes.
Every day is different for Joneigh Khaldun, who leads the state of Michigan’s response to the pandemic and many other public health initiatives. Khaldun grew up in Michigan, received medical training on the east coast, and returned to her home state to do what she always wanted to do—support and improve the health of Michigan communities.