Berkeley Public Health

05/15/2025

🏅Congratulations to the winners of this year’s student awards: The Henrik L. Blum Award for Social Action (Shukri Suhir), Sheldon Margen Award (Amber Peake), and the new Meredith A. Minkler Award (Mayela Padilla-Salas)!

They embody the excellence, spirit, and values of UC Berkeley Public Health. 🐻 We are so proud of them and the amazing work they have done. We can't wait to see what the future holds for them!

Accessible PDF including quotes from their nominators: https://ow.ly/w4Yi50VTvVH

05/12/2025

Introducing our commencement speakers for the class of 2025!

Undergraduate speaker Prekshaa Sunill Rungta, an international student from Mumbai, is passionate about creating innovative, accessible healthcare systems. At Berkeley, she led global health initiatives and now aims to work in healthcare innovation and strategy, ultimately launching her own venture.

Graduate speaker Priya (Saptati) Bhattacharjee, MD, a double Bear with an MD from USC, will begin a pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles post-graduation.
Passionate about health equity, she hopes to improve outcomes for all children and continues to draw inspiration and purpose from her Berkeley roots.

Watch them give their inspiring commencement speeches at 2 pm Monday, May 19, on our Youtube livestream of the ceremony: https://ow.ly/TzRu50VQoao

05/10/2025

The UC Berkeley Public Health 2025 commencement will be held on Monday, May 19, 2 p.m. PST at the Greek Theater on the UC Berkeley campus. Join us via livestream as we celebrate our phenomenal class of 2025 with speeches from keynote speaker Xavier Becerra, alum of the year Charlotte Smith, and our undergraduate and graduate commencement speakers!

UC Berkeley School of Public Health 2025 Commencement Ceremony at the Hearst Greek Theatre

05/09/2025

As a Cambridge-trained obstetrician, Dr. Malcolm Potts championed contraception, safe abortion, and maternal health worldwide. At UC Berkeley School of Public Health, he founded the Bixby Center for Population, Health and Sustainability and the OASIS (Organizing to Advance Solutions in the Sahel) Initiative. Potts’ fearless, science-based advocacy transformed global reproductive rights. He is survived by a large family and enduring legacy.

https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/school-news/dr-malcolm-potts-dies-at-90

Dr. Potts emerged in the 1960s as a leader in what was then a revolutionary movement for access to reliable contraception and safe abortion.

05/08/2025

Researchers from UC Berkeley and UCSF met on April 29 at the “Frontiers of Computational Health” conference to discuss how AI can be used in healthcare in fair and effective ways. They talked about combining different types of data, understanding how doctors make decisions, and making sure new computational tools are inclusive.

https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/research-highlights/inclusive-ways-to-develop-and-scale-computational-health

Experts from UC Berkeley presented alongside academic and industry leaders at Frontiers of Computational Health conference.

05/07/2025

Congratulations! 🎉 🏅 Laura Díaz, a UC Berkeley doctoral student in Environmental Health Sciences, won the 2025 Yamash*ta Prize for her community-driven environmental justice work.
She co-founded Partners for Equity and Research and leads the Educator Collective for Environmental Justice, empowering youth and educators through curriculum development, activism, and culturally responsive research in frontline communities.


https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/divisions/environmental-health-sciences/laura-diaz-wins-social-activism-prize

05/06/2025

Congratulations 🎉 to UC Berkeley Public Health professors Kim Harley and Joseph Lewnard, winners of this year's Zak Sabry Faculty Mentorship Award! 🏅

Dr. Harley is a reproductive epidemiologist and faculty in the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health program; Associate Professor of Epidemiology Dr. Lewnard researches vaccine-preventable diseases, transmission, and antimicrobial resistance.

The Zak Sabry Mentorship Award was established in 2004 on the occasion of the retirement of Professor Zak Sabry (1933-2025) in tribute to his outstanding commitment to mentoring. The award is given to faculty members who have a distinguished record of mentorship and have been nominated by a graduating student.

Both Professor Harley and Professor Lewnard received multiple nominations from their students. They will be honored at the UC Berkeley Public Health commencement ceremony on Monday, May 19.

05/05/2025

A UC Berkeley study led by Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management Jenny Guadamuz found that pharmacies excluded from Medicare Part D preferred networks are more likely to close, especially in low-income and minority communities. This exclusion reduces access to essential medications, exacerbating health disparities. Inclusion in preferred networks is crucial for pharmacy survival and equitable healthcare access.
https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/research-highlights/pharmacies-left-off-preferred-networks-more-likely-to-close

Researchers also found that independent pharmacies and those in low-income, Black, or Latino communities faced a higher risk of closure.

04/30/2025

Haven Nahabwe, a UC Berkeley Online MPH student from rural Uganda, has dedicated 15 years to improving public health in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest region. His work spans maternal health, disease surveillance, and community engagement. Inspired by personal hardship and local needs, he uses data-driven approaches to reduce mortality and train health workers, aiming to transform underserved communities through grassroots public health interventions.

Haven Nahabwe is a first-year MPH student at UC Berkeley and a Global Health Fellow.

04/29/2025

Traffic safety in 101 seconds: The U.S. has the highest traffic fatality rate among wealthy nations, with deaths far exceeding those in countries like Sweden and Australia. Julia Griswold of UC Berkeley’s SafeTREC highlights the urgency of improving road safety for all, especially pedestrians. Through Vision Zero and safety research, Griswold urges individuals to help—starting with slowing down to save lives.
Watch/read: https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/research-highlights/traffic-safety-research-explained-in-101-seconds

Watch this video to learn more about what Berkeley is doing to make roads safer, and what you can do, too.

04/24/2025

Researchers from UC Berkeley and UC Davis found that patterns of Valley fever in dogs can help predict outbreaks in people. After studying over 830,000 tests, they confirmed dogs are good early warning indicators; risk factors include digging and travel to affected areas. A new dog vaccine may also help prevent the disease in humans.

More than 75 years of transformational research and hands-on social impact for a better world.

04/23/2025

The most recent episode of The Other 80 with Chief Social Impact Officer Claudia Williams features federal workers who had no choice but to leave their important work when they were fired post-election. Stories include: A former marine who was improving primary care for fellow veterans, a child of farmworkers who was expanding economic opportunities for rural communities and a technologist who was improving the organ transplant distribution system. In their jobs, they used exquisite talents to help communities thrive and connect people with care they desperately needed.
Listen: https://ow.ly/G00I50VFHXS

04/22/2025

Becky Staiger, assistant professor at UC Berkeley School of Public Health, co-led a study analyzing over 60,000 OB-GYNs' practice locations post-Dobbs decision. Contrary to media reports, the study found no significant exodus of OB-GYNs from states with abortion bans. In fact, OB-GYN numbers increased across all states, suggesting that factors like community ties may influence physicians' decisions to stay.

A research team found that, contrary to anecdotal media reports, it did not appear that doctors were fleeing states where abortions were illegal.

04/21/2025

A UC Berkeley study led by Professor Joshua Apte found that electrifying Caltrain's commuter rail line reduced passengers' exposure to carcinogenic black carbon by 89%. This rapid transition from diesel to electric trains significantly improved air quality within weeks, highlighting the substantial health benefits of rail electrification.

More than 75 years of transformational research and hands-on social impact for a better world.

04/19/2025

🐻 UC Berkeley School of Public Health is proud to announce: This year’s commencement keynote speaker will be the 25th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, JD! 🎓 👏

The first in his family to graduate from a university and become a lawyer, Becerra served 12 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and was California's attorney general from 2017 to 2021. He successfully defended both the Affordable Care Act and the DACA program for Dreamers all the way to the Supreme Court.

In 2021, Becerra became the 25th secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Under his leadership, America achieved the highest level of healthcare coverage in history. He successfully led the first ever negotiations to lower prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries and successfully executed the Biden Administration's campaign to end the COVID pandemic, which was killing thousands of Americans every day and ravaging our economy at the close of the Trump Presidency in January 2021.

The 2025 UC Berkeley Public Health commencement will be held on May 19 at the Greek Theater—details coming soon!

04/17/2025

Professor Emeritus Richard Scheffler, once a med school hopeful, instead became a pioneering health economist. His seminal research on physician assistants helped shape U.S. health policy. As founder of UC Berkeley’s Petris Center, Scheffler exposed healthcare consolidation, influenced major lawsuits, and drove mental health parity—leaving a profound legacy in economics, healthcare access, and reform.

Richard Scheffler’s work has often driven the national conversation on health policy with impact on federal and state governments.

04/16/2025

In a study led by Emily Liu, a Ph.D. candidate at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, researchers found that nonfatal self-harm rates among California adolescents more than doubled from 2005 to 2021. The most significant increases were observed among multiracial girls, highlighting urgent mental health concerns for this demographic.

The number of CA teens who have been treated for self-harm has ballooned in recent years, with an especially concerning increase among multiracial girls.

04/14/2025

A study by Kaiser Permanente and UC Berkeley School of Public Health found that girls with multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are more likely to enter puberty early, increasing risks for mental and physical health issues. This association was not observed in boys, highlighting gender-specific impacts of early trauma.

Girls with a history of adverse childhood experiences are more likely to begin puberty earlier than girls who have not had these experiences.

04/13/2025

A degree in public health opens doors to diverse career paths, including epidemiology, healthpolicy, health care, community health, and global health. Its interdisciplinary nature allows UC Berkeley Public health students to combine their interests in medicine, sociology, environmental science, and policymaking into a meaningful career withreal-world impact.

UC Berkeley Public Health graduates will be equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to drivepositive change and build healthier communities.

04/12/2025

Wrapping up our National Public Health Week posts with words from Chief Social Impact Officer Claudia Williams: “At UC Berkeley School of Public Health, we are focused on three areas of impact: creating the conditions of health in our Bay Area communities, shaping policies for health in California and beyond, and galvanizing entrepreneurship and innovation focused on the challenges of our era.”

We recently asked Williams about her work and thoughts on the field of public health as we mark National Public Health Week.

04/11/2025

Sean Darling-Hammond is Assistant Professor of Health and Social Behavior at UC Berkeley Public Health. His research explores how K-12 practices (such as restorative practices, exclusionary discipline, and school policing) impact student mental health.

Darling-Hammond's thoughts on why public health is important right now: "As the world grows exponentially more complex, and our attention becomes increasingly more divided, we need the field of public health to isolate what matters -- what is making us sick, and what can help us thrive?”


Read more:

Sean Darling-Hammond is an assistant professor of Health and Social Behavior and Community Health Sciences at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health.

04/09/2025

For National Public Health Week, Professor of Biostatistics and Statistics Mark van der Laan shares his thoughts on why public health is so important right now: “We cannot separate mental health and happiness from physical health. And it’s not enough to treat health symptoms through various medications or interventions, we need to understand and address the underlying situation.”

We recently asked Mark van der Laan, UC Berkeley Professor of Biostatistics and Statistics, about his work and thoughts on the field of public health.

04/08/2025

The UC Berkeley School of Public Health has once again excelled in school rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report, placing it as No. 8 (tied with UCLA) out of 219 Master of Public Health programs in the U.S. accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.

U.S. News also ranked five master’s level specialties. Berkeley Public Health’s program rankings are:
No. 8 Environmental Health Sciences
No. 8 Social Behavior (tracks to Community Health Sciences)
No. 10 Epidemiology
No. 12 Biostatistics
No. 12 Health Policy & Management

More: https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/news-media/school-news/ucbph-number-8-in-us-news-rankings

04/07/2025

April 7-11 is National Public Health Week (NPHW)! For three decades, National Public Health Week has been a cornerstone in advancing health equity, improving community well-being and championing policies that protect and promote public health.

This week we will feature four UC Berkeley Public Health faculty and students, kicking things off with Master of Public Health/Master of City Planning student Laurel Denyer. She's researching how California’s climate policies impact environmental justice communities, emphasizing the need for data-driven equity. Denyer sees climate change as a major public health challenge, and believes restoring trust in public health starts with educating people on its everyday relevance—from food access to climate resilience.

Denyer’s interests include governance and urban planning policy mechanisms that can create healthier, more just communities for people and the planet.

04/03/2025

In February 2025, UC Berkeley and J.P. Morgan hosted the second annual Healthcare Conference Taipei, uniting biotech startups, investors, and industry leaders from the U.S. and Asia. This year's event, organized by UC Berkeley School of Public Health Dean Michael C. Lu, featured startup presentations and expert panels, fostering cross-border partnerships to accelerate healthcare innovations.

The second annual Healthcare Conference Taipei brought together leading biotech and health tech startups and investors.