Adolescent Health

Patrick Shannon

In the Business of Keeping People Alive: Notes from a Public Health Judge

Hon. Patrick Shannon, MPH ’92

Judge Patrick Shannon looks forward to Mondays, when he sees firsthand the spectrum of problems that arise from the current national opioid epidemic. The stories he hears include abuse, neglect, and mental health. Instead of handing out jail sentences, Shannon has helped implement “the public health approach” in offering alternatives to jail time—prevention, intervention, and treatment.

Lucie Kalousova

Tobacco Control: A Success Story with a Side Story

Lucie Kalousova, PhD ’17

As a doctoral student, Lucie Kalousova knew she needed a dissertation topic that would make a meaningful contribution to improving population health and closing health disparities. The academic rigor and spirit of collaboration she found at Michigan helped her meld public health and social sciences into research that helps mitigate the adverse effects of smoking on minority and low-SES groups.

Taryn Gal

Sex, Public Health, and Being Human

Taryn Gal, MPH ’07

Working alongside young people as executive director of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health, alum Taryn Gal and her team help ensure young people have access to sexual health services and sexual health education. And she reminds us that we all have a stake in sexual health.