Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown School of Public Health

10/20/2026

NEW EPISODE🎧 From air raid alarms to high school crushes, Ukrainian teenagers are balancing everyday adolescence with the trauma of war. Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown School of Public Health Professor Shufang Sun is working to address their vast unmet psychological needs with a tech-based approach that delivers crucial support to teens navigating life amid conflict.

Listen at the link, or search Humans in Public Health wherever you get your podcasts https://humans-in-public-health.captivate.fm/episode/draft

10/07/2026

🎉 Huge congratulations to Vedhalakshmi Rajasankar (PhD student in Behavioral and Social Health Sciences) and the research team on their latest publication in Nature Mental Health! 🧠✨

Their new systematic review and meta-analysis explores critical strategies for "Improving mental health and health behaviors among transgender and non-binary populations."

We are so proud to see our BSHS students leading impactful, health-equity-focused research! 👏

📖 Read the full paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-026-00713-6

The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of behavioral health interventions in improving outcomes among transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals.

10/06/2026

Excited to share our latest research published in AIDS Care! 📄✨
In our new study, “If condoms really aren't an option, then I would maybe push more for considering PrEP”: A qualitative exploration of Women’s Health Providers’ PrEP prescribing practices, we examined how healthcare clinicians navigate decision-making around prescribing PrEP to cisgender women.
Despite CDC guidelines recommending PrEP to all sexually active adults, our findings show that clinicians often view PrEP as a "last resort"—relying primarily on a risk-focused lens and condom negotiation before offering PrEP. To close the gap in HIV prevention for cisgender women, we need to address these clinician-level barriers and re-evaluate how PrEP is integrated into routine women's healthcare.
Huge thank you to my co-authors—Alison J. Goldberg, Taiylar Ball, Arielle Desir, Jonathan Purtle, Don Operario, and the entire team—for their collaboration on this work!
Read the full open-access article here: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2026.2632722
Care

Cisgender women account for approximately 20% of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S., yet of those indicated for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake is only 10%. Cisgender women are amenable to PrEP; ...

10/01/2026

As part of the Ever True Roadmap to Recovery, “Resiliency After” is a series of educational sessions designed to help Brown students, faculty and staff build resilience and strengthen community.

In October, “Resiliency After: Strategies for Moving Beyond the Stress” will offer separate virtual sessions for students and for faculty and staff. The sessions will provide an overview of the science of coping in times of stress and trauma, along with practical strategies for moving forward during complicated times.

We would appreciate your help promoting these educational opportunities to members of the Brown community through your newsletters, emails, websites and social media channels.

To make sharing easy, we’ve created a communications toolkit with ready-to-use copy, direct registration links and promotional graphics, including a digital poster and Instagram Story graphics.

Access the communications toolkit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YN2q8QocvDMRZnEZGfBcSccc_Hjlk_UC50xKKyotpLQ/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you for helping spread the word and connect members of the Brown community with these resources.

10/01/2026

🎓 Considering graduate studies in Behavioral and Social Sciences?

Join us for the BSHS Information Session! Learn more about our doctoral program, research opportunities, and how to apply. Meet faculty and get your questions answered live.

🗓 Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026

🕒 Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT

💻 Format: Virtual (Zoom)

👉 Register here: Prospective Student Registration Link: https://apply.graduateschool.brown.edu/register/?id=04992c8b-44b3-4bb7-a291-6049c227b78b

We look forward to seeing you there!

09/23/2026

📣 We’re Hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate! 📣

The Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity (CHPHE) at the Brown University School of Public Health is looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a major NIH-funded R01 study led by Drs. Alison Tovar and Lauren Bohlen! 🎓💡

About the Role:

Focus: Community-engaged research in nutrition, physical activity, implementation science, and chronic disease prevention.

Project: Evaluating Rhode Island's pioneering Health Equity Zone (HEZ) model across 14 local communities.

Location: Providence, RI (In-person / Hybrid option).

Duration: 2-year appointment.

Who Should Apply?
Candidates holding or pursuing a PhD, ScD, or DrPH in public health, nutrition, exercise science, behavioral science, epidemiology, or related fields, with training in intervention trial research or implementation science.

Know someone who would be a great fit? Tag them below or share this post!

👇 Apply here:

09/17/2026

NEW EPISODE 🎧 Rethinking drinking
New research shows that no level of alcohol consumption is risk-free, with mortality risks jumping sharply after more than just one drink per day. Professor Christopher Kahler, the director of the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University, breaks down the health hazards of moderate drinking on this month's episode of Humans in Public Health. He also shares his advice and realistic strategies for reducing the risks of drinking. Listen now! https://humans-in-public-health.captivate.fm/episode/rethinking-drinking

09/17/2026

🎉 Huge congratulations to our very own Dr. David Zelaya! 👏

We are thrilled to share that Dr. Zelaya has received the 2026 Distinguished Early-Career Award from the National Latinx Psychological Association! Please join us in celebrating this well-deserved recognition for his incredible work and contributions to the field.

Congratulations, Dr. Zelaya! 🙌✨


https://www.nlpa.ws/nlpa-award-recipients

09/14/2026

Congratulations to Dr. David Zelaya and former BSHS PhD graduate Dr. Arjee Restar on their new empirical study! 👏

Their research was recently published in a high-impact special issue of American Psychologist, psychology's flagship journal.

09/14/2026

Join us for our upcoming Information Session on September 22 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM to learn more about our programs, the application process, and how you can make a meaningful impact in public health!

👉 Register today to save your spot: https://apply.graduateschool.brown.edu/register/?id=6f7464ed-6d4e-498d-b674-815f71bb394c

We look forward to meeting you!