Policy

illustration of a microscope, and a magnifying glass studying a DNA sample

Tracking a Killer: Disease Behavior and Epidemiology's Detective Tools

Betsy Foxman

You don't have to know an organism to track its effects. This fundamental insight into the relationship between humans and pathogens helps public health professionals act even when they have only imperfect information. Just as importantly, says Betsy Foxman, is the will to act—for the benefit of everyone in the community—when good science tells us the time is now.

stressed teenage student sitting outside of school

Bridging the Gap: Connecting Public Health and Public Schools to Support Students

Laura Hollander, MPH '19

Many Michigan public schools are under pressure to improve student grades and test scores. But currently the connection between student grades and student health is under-recognized. To improve student health, schools should include public health programs about mental and behavioral health in classrooms.

Ambulance

The Drug Overdose Epidemic

Ali Safawi, BA '19

Recently, the “opioid epidemic” or “opioid crisis” has been on the minds of journalists, politicians, public health professionals, and the public. While opioids continue to contribute the lion’s share of overdose deaths nationally, a deeper look into available data suggests that the United States is facing not only an “opioid epidemic” but a “drug overdose epidemic.”

Family walking down the street

Making Family Planning a Household Name: The Legacy of Title X

Chloe Bakst

Title X provides for a diverse array of services, including medical care like contraception, training for nurses and other care providers, and systematic data collection. Despite fifty years of shrinking financial support, can it continue to be successful?

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One Family, Three Disciplines: An Intergenerational Conversation on Public Health

Michael Boehnke, Betsy Foxman, and Kevin Foxman Boehnke

We asked a family of public health researchers about big-picture changes in the field, how they decide which questions to pursue, and what they make of specialization in the sciences. Their conversation both lifts up and itself embodies the interdisciplinary nature of public health.