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Prevention Science and Community Health


The Ph.D. in Prevention Science and Community Health program provides individuals the necessary expertise and interdisciplinary background to contribute to 21st-century prevention and community health research. By engaging with faculty who are leaders in the field, our students address preventable causes of illness and death in the United States as outlined in the country’s National Prevention Strategy.

Our goals are to advance research on the bio-behavioral, social, and cultural determinants of health and prevent physical and mental illnesses that lead to morbidity and mortality. We strive to improve health and achieve health equity for all by developing, testing and supporting effective health programs, policies, and practices. We shape the future of public health by educating and mentoring emerging leaders in prevention science and community health.

Faculty are engaged in strong interdisciplinary and cutting-edge scientific discovery in a range of physical, behavioral, and mental health areas. Our faculty’s expertise in community-based participatory research and translational and implementation science is applied in multicultural community settings and reaches populations in greatest need of health promotion. The division houses several large research programs, including a center focusing on reducing cancer health disparities, programs in implementation science and community-based participatory research, and projects on substance abuse, HIV, and obesity in minority youth both in the U.S. and abroad. Division faculty also direct the NIH-funded National Hispanic Science Network and our health equity efforts.

Key Areas of Research

  • Community-Based Participatory Research
  • Etiology
  • Implementation Science
  • Innovative Data Collection & Analyses
  • Intervention Design & Evaluation

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