VCU School of Public Health

10/16/2026

Get ready for the next Biostatistics Research Seminar on Friday, October 23.
Himel Mallick, Ph.D., of Weill Cornell Medical College, will present, "Bayesian Multimodal AI for Scalable Biomedical Discovery."

Join us at OCS or on Zoom at 12 p.m.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/k2NLjcDnTtG88tKvKKcTGw

10/15/2026

Get to know our new VCU-Bolashak Scholars! They arrived this fall to begin their training at and VCU School of Medicine.

For about ten months, each will follow a program designed for their unique educational and clinical background. Then they'll return to their native Kazakhstan to help transform and improve the health care system there.

Learn more about the program and our current scholars at the link in the comments below.

Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Department of Health Policy

10/14/2026

Introducing: a new way to level up your public health knowledge, from and VCU Continuing and Professional Education!

You can add one of four new public health badges or bundle them for a discount. These are for current healthcare professionals, organizers, social justice advocates and students pursuing any degree.

Explore the Foundations of Public Health Decision-Making and enroll today!

A new public health microcential program offers an accessible, flexible way for students and professionals to understand how public health systems work, evaluate evidence, and apply public health approaches to real-world challenges.

10/12/2026

With GLP-1 drug usage doubling among U.S. adults in recent years, Virginia Commonwealth University student researchers are bringing attention to drug affordability and health equity.

Study co-author David T. Zhu, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate in the VCU School of Medicine and School of Public Health, worked alongside colleagues to examine a decade of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. Their research reveals that lower-income and uninsured individuals face the highest relative out-of-pocket burden—with nearly 1 in 3 spending more than 10% of their household income on these treatments.

“Our findings show that even modest out-of-pocket spending on GLP-1 medications can impose substantial financial strain when household financial resources are limited,” said Zhu.

The study reveals trends in health spending, which soared to nearly $65 billion in 2023 for the popular weight-loss drugs. Among their findings: Nearly 1 in 5 of GLP-1 users spent at least 10% of their household income on the medications.

10/08/2026

Two faculty are working on a project as part of the new Cancer Health Engagement and Action Research (CHEAR) Center at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center!

Katherine Tossas, Ph.D., will serve as PI and Sunny Jung Kim, Ph.D. is Co-I on this intiatial project.

Learn more about CHEAR, a $1.65 million grant-funded center from the American Cancer Society and what's involved at the link in the comments.

10/07/2026

The Forum Seminar Series continues with a presentation from Laura Pedersen, M.D., M.P.H.

She'll share her research on "The Unique Pathogens Unit: Preparedness for Rare and Emerging Infectious Threats."

🗓️ Tuesday, Oct. 13
🕛️ 12 p.m.
📍 OCS 644 or on Zoom.

See all events and register here: https://epidemiology.vcu.edu/seminar/

10/06/2026

Catch 's Dina Garcia, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., on VCU Graduate School's Grad Pod! She's a rockstar mentor, and in this episode, she shares how her experiences and training shaped her approach.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

10/06/2026

Jessica LaRose, Ph.D., F.S.B.M., professor and Chair of the VCU Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences has been awarded the Theresa A. Thomas Memorial Chair in Cancer Prevention and Control by VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Established in 2002 by the Theresa A. Thomas Memorial Foundation, the chair honors the legacy of nurse Theresa A. Thomas by supporting eminent researchers focused on cancer prevention and community health equity.

Jessica LaRose, Ph.D., F.S.B.M., was awarded the endowed chair this month by Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is professor and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences in VCU’s School of Public Health and holds several lead roles in cancer prevention and control-related ini...

10/05/2026

Catch our VCU Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences Ph.D. student Terry Wilson at the Three-Minute Thesis finals this Friday!

Three minutes. One slide. Groundbreaking research.

Come support VCU graduate students as they present their impactful research at the 3MT Finals! Stay after the presentations to celebrate with student presenters during the reception.

Register in RamsConnect -> https://cglink.me/2dV/r1948517

10/02/2026

Big news from Virginia Commonwealth University! 🏛️ The VCU School of Public Health has launched the new interdisciplinary Center for Gun Violence Research. Led by renowned forensic psychologist Nicholas Thomson, Ph.D., the center will connect researchers, health systems, and local agencies to implement real-world programs that reduce gun violence and support healthier communities.

Check out the full article to learn more about this initiative.

Based in the School of Public Health, the center will unite expertise across VCU to advance the science of gun violence prevention and translate evidence into strategies that save lives.