2009 News Directory
Smoking, Drinking Pose Risk to Survivors of Head and Neck Cancer
12-14-09: Continuing to regularly smoke or drink alcohol after a diagnosis of head and neck cancer increases a patient’s chance of dying, a Yale-led research team has found.
Public Health Expert Shares Insight on Community Care
12-07-09: He’s a close friend of Barack and Michelle Obama, a crusader for community health and an admitted “skeptic” whose faith in town-gown relations is still shaky.
Wide Racial Disparities Identified in Hospitalization Ages
12-02-09: New research by Yale School of Public Health shows that blacks are admitted to the hospital at a significantly younger age than their white peers for a host of preventable medical conditions, an indication that they have received inadequate care for the underlying conditions in the years leading up to their hospitalization.
Public Health Authority to Speak at Community Forum
11-09-09: Eric Whitaker, a public health expert based at the University of Chicago, will speak at a community forum on health equity at the Cooperative Arts High School in New Haven, followed by a lecture and panel the next morning in Winslow Auditorium at the Yale School of Public Health.
Professor Emerita Wins Lifetime Achievement Award
11-09-09: Nancy Ruddle, professor emerita in the division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at the Yale School of Public Health, received the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Cytokine Society at its annual meeting in Lisbon, Portugal in October. This award is given annually to one scientist who has contributed in a sustained way to research on cytokines.
YSPH Professor Appointed to Global HIV Research Agency
10-29-09: The French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS) has named A. David Paltiel to its Scientific Review Committee.
Downs Fellows to Present Research Projects
10-27-09: Ten YSPH students selected as Downs International Health Student Travel Fellows will present their findings from last summer at a symposium and poster session this Friday.
Research Identifies Link Between Childhood ADHD and Adult Crime
10-22-09: Schoolchildren with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder are “substantially” more likely to engage in many types of criminal activity, such as burglary, theft and drug dealing, as they grow older, a new study conducted by the Yale School of Public Health has found.
Mayne Named “Researcher of the Year” in New Haven
10-20-09: A professor at the Yale School of Public Health has been named “Researcher of the Year” by Business New Haven magazine for her inquiries into nutrition, genetics and cancer prevention.
Current Soda Taxes Not Enough to Curb Obesity, Study Finds
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10-16-09: Current state taxes and levies on soft drinks are slowing consumption and resulting in slimmer waistlines, but the effect is generally small in magnitude, newly published research by the Yale School of Public Health has found.
YSPH Researcher Develops Museum Exhibit on Infectious Diseases
10-13-09: Wriggling larvae, jars of ticks and a larger-than-life mosquito devouring a blood meal are some of the ways the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is de-mystifying infectious disease through an exhibit “Solving the Puzzle: Lyme Disease, West Nile Virus, and You,” developed with guidance from Leonard Munstermann, senior research scientist at the School of Public Health.
Aksoy Named Editor of Journal on Tropical Medicine
10-09-09: Serap Aksoy, an authority on vector biology and the pathogen that causes sleeping sickness, has been named the lead editor of a scientific journal dedicated to neglected tropical diseases.
Health Survey Seeks to Stem Chronic Disease in New Haven
10-06-09: In the second stage of a long-term effort to reverse worsening rates of chronic disease in New Haven, residents of six city neighborhoods will be surveyed about their current health and health habits.
Many Hospital Patients Arriving Too Late For Stroke Drug
10-02-09: Most stroke patients arrive at the hospital too late to take advantage of a clot-busting drug that significantly reduces stroke symptoms and lessens the chance of permanent disability if delivered within three hours of the onset of symptoms.
YSPH Students Awarded for Commitment to Health Care
09-30-09: Two students at the Yale School of Public Health have received awards recognizing their commitment to the study and analysis of health care.
Most U.S. Surgery Residents Satisfied With Training, but Many Stressed About the Future
09-23-09: The majority of general surgery residents in the United States are satisfied with their training and confident of their ability to perform, but a significant minority also feels that the hours and stress are straining their family life and many express worries about future income and career prospects.
Pregnancy is an Ideal Time for HIV-Prevention, Study Finds
09-21-09: An HIV-prevention program targeted at women receiving prenatal care appears to be an effective way of reducing risks for HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned future pregnancies, a new study has found.
Class of 2011 Gathers For First Time
09-04-09: "Thank you for hiring me,” Dean Paul Cleary said to the 125 incoming M.P.H. students who gathered in Winslow Auditorium to begin their academic careers at the Yale School of Public Health. “I view this job as a sacred trust.”
Study Determines That Opioid Overdose is Statewide Problem in Connecticut
08-28-09: More than 2,200 people have died in Connecticut from opioid overdoses in the past 11 years—more than one every other day—a survey of state medical records done by the Yale School of Public Health has found.
Yale Research Questions Federal Guidelines for Who Should Receive Flu and Swine Flu Vaccines
08-21-09: With the seasonal flu season approaching and uncertainty over what will happen with the swine flu, new research by Yale School of Public Health has found that more people are likely to avoid both illnesses if vaccines are given out first to those most likely to transmit them, rather than to those at highest risk for complications.
Lyme Bacterium, Once Nearly Eradicated in the United States, Rebounded With Forests
08-19-09: In post-colonial America, Lyme disease was isolated to a few islands along the Northeast coast and pockets within Wisconsin and Minnesota. But a new genetic analysis of the Lyme bacterium by Yale researchers shows that the tick-borne disease roared back after the reforestation of this part of the country.
Chinese Physicians Arrive at YSPH for Diabetes Management Training
08-13-09: A delegation of 21 physician from throughout China arrived at Yale this week for three days of executive and clinical diabetes management training offered by the Yale School of Public Health, School of Medicine and School of Management.
How Do You Stop the Tsetse Fly from Transmitting Sleeping Sickness? A Host Protein May Provide the Answer.
08-10-09: Human African Trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, is one of the deadlier diseases in sub–Saharan Africa. It is caused by the African trypanosome parasite and is transmitted to humans through the bite of a tsetse fly. Few methods currently exist to combat this tropical disease that afflicts tens of thousands of people annually and also attacks livestock, preventing many rural poor from achieving even subsistence–level farming.
$1 Million Grant Awarded to Study Babesiosis
07-31-09: A private foundation has awarded more than $1 million to a Yale School of Public Health researcher to study babesiosis, a worldwide vector–borne illness that is transmitted by the same tick that is responsible for Lyme disease.
New Head Named for Chronic Disease Epidemiology
07-28-09: Professor Susan Mayne has been named the new head of the division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology.
YSPH Develops Improved Record-Keeping System in Rural Ethiopian Hospital
07-15-09: Accurate, organized and complete medical records are critical to any hospital and the quality of patient care. Poorly managed records result in critical time delays, frustration for doctors and, in a worst-case scenario, medical mistakes.
Local Youth to Create Health Map of New Haven Neighborhoods
07-07-09: In an effort to battle chronic diseases in New Haven, teens and young adults of the city’s “Youth@Work” program will fan out in six neighborhoods this month, outfitted with hand–held computers and video cameras, to map what is healthy—and unhealthy—in the Elm City.
Agent Used in Spinal Fusion Surgery Associated with Complications, Higher Fees
07-01-09: A genetically engineered biological agent used to promote bone formation is associated with a higher rate of complications in cervical spine (neck) fusions and greater hospital charges for all categories of spinal fusions, according to a study by researchers at Yale School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
YSPH Graduate Honored By American College of Epidemiology
06-18-09: For the second year in a row, a Yale School of Public Health graduate has received the Student Prize Paper award from the American College of Epidemiology.
Long Service Awards Breakfast Honors YSPH Career Milestones
06-12-09: A lingering drizzle on Wednesday did not deter staff of the Yale School of Public Health from gathering at LEPH for a Long Service Awards breakfast to recognize their colleagues for milestone years of service.
Family Festival Kicks Off Community Drive for Improved Health
06-12-09: A new grassroots effort to improve the health of all New Haven residents kicks off June 20–21 during the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. The launch is organized by Community Interventions for Health’s New Haven Collaborative, a group of volunteers and public health professionals seeking to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent disease.
Pettigrew Selected to Serve on NIH Grant Review Committee
06-09-09: A national biomedical and health research group has invited a School of Public Health faculty member to serve on its grant review committee.
Citizens to Contribute Good Wishes (and Art) for Health
06-04-09: An ancient Latin American ritual will be recreated in New Haven, the first U.S. city to participate in a new global health effort: Community Interventions for Health.
YSPH Graduates Celebrate a “Noble, Inspiring” Calling
05-29-09: “Is this a glorious day, or what?” marveled Paul Cleary, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, as he greeted 79 graduates accepting their M.P.H. degree in front of friends and family in Battell Chapel. The balmy weather wasn’t the only reason for his lifted spirits.
The Costs of Teenage Motherhood
05-21-09: It is no surprise that being a teenage mom is especially challenging, but young motherhood also appears to come with heavy consequences in terms of educational achievement and future salary potential.
YSPH Names Teacher, Mentor of the Year
05-15-09: The ability to bring data analysis to life is a valuable asset in a teacher – a fact not lost on YSPH’s Class of 2009 when they chose Mayur Desai, assistant professor in the division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology and director of the Advanced Professional M.P.H. Program as Teacher of the Year.
Yale Launches Global Health Initiative
05-14-09: In an ambitious effort to further Yale University’s engagement in global health, President Richard C. Levin has announced the launch of the Yale Global Health Initiative. This is the first endeavor of the University’s new Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, which was announced in April.
Experts to Focus on Health Care Reform at Alumni Day 2009
05-14-09: The United States Census Bureau estimates that one in six Americans under the age of 65—a total of 45.7 million people—had no health insurance at some point in the year 2007. This is due in large part to the continued decline of employer–sponsored health coverage.
Students Team Up for Community Health Fair
05-07-09: On the heels of a successful health fair targeting members of the Church Street South residential community, students from the Yale Health Initiation Taskforce will team up with the Hill Health Center to organize a health fair for local schoolchildren.
The Next Generation of Global Health Workers Extolled at Yale
05-05-09: A global health revolution is underway. It can be seen in the billions of dollars that are spent on treatments, in the creation of new programs and agencies and in the work of well-known advocates such as Bill Gates, Bill Clinton and Angelina Jolie.
YSPH Student Receives Scholarship for Women in Statistics
04-28-09: Martha Skup, a first–year Ph.D. student at YSPH, has been awarded the American Statistical Association’s Gertrude M. Cox Scholarship for women in graduate statistics programs.
President of Liberia Thanks Yale for Health Care Support
04-24-09: Expressing gratitude to several leaders at Yale, including those in the School of Public Health, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia described her high hopes for the African nation at Battell Chapel on Thursday.
Global Warning: Might Climate Change Worsen Lyme Disease?
04-21-09: In a finding that suggests how global warming might exacerbate the spread of infectious disease, scientists from the Yale School of Public Health, in collaboration with other institutions, have produced evidence that regional climates impact the severity of Lyme disease in humans by influencing the feeding patterns of deer ticks that carry it.
YSPH Celebrates National Public Health Week with Panel, Film Screenings
04-14-09: National Public Health Week kicked off Monday at the Yale School of Public Health with a panel discussion titled “Perspectives on Public Health Disparities in Connecticut.”
YSPH Hosts Animal Diseases Conference
04-08-09: Infectious–disease experts, zoologists and biostatisticians from Cambridge to Kazakhstan convened at the Yale School of Public Health April 3 and 4 for its first conference on zoonoses, infectious diseases with the potential to spread from animals to humans.
AIDS Science Day Aims to Channel Research into Action
04-03-09: Translating research findings into action was the emphasis of this year’s AIDS Science Day, which brought together 300 people—including scientists, students and service providers—to the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale for panel discussions, poster presentations and community booths.
Over 100 Admitted Students Attend YSPH Open House
03-31-09: On Friday, 114 students admitted to the M.P.H. program at the Yale School of Public Health gathered for an open house, starting the day with coffee and conversation with faculty before receiving an overview of the school’s program, requirements and services.
Beliefs About the Causes of Obesity Predict Support for Policies to Combat the Problem
03-27-09: With obesity becoming an increasing public health concern in the United States, new research has found that an individual’s personal beliefs about the causes of weight problems are a reliable indicator of whether they will support public policies designed to combat what some see as an epidemic.
YSPH to Weather Financial Crisis, Says Dean Cleary
03-25-09: Monday’s town hall meeting led by Dean Paul Cleary served to reassure faculty, staff and students that YSPH is positioned to weather the gathering financial crisis.
Biostatistics Faculty Lead Cancer Risk Workshop in Banff
03-20-09: Elizabeth B. Claus, Ph.D, M.D., and Annette Molinaro, Ph.D., faculty members in the division of Biostatistics at the Yale School of Public Health, co–chaired a workshop on cancer risk prediction models in early March in Banff, Canada.
High Stress Jobs Can Take a Toll on Employee’s Family
03-17-09: People dealing with the daily stress of a high–pressure career can adversely affect the mental health of their spouses, new research conducted by the Yale School of Public Health has found.
The Effects of Exercise on Cancer to be Studied with $7 Million Grant
03-13-09: Nearly $7 million in combined grants have been awarded to a researcher at the Yale School of Public Health to examine the effects of exercise on two types of cancer unique to women.
NIH Supplements Enhance Grant Funding, Foster Diversity
03-11-09: In an effort to create a more diverse public health workforce, the School of Public Health is taking advantage of federal funding that promotes the recruitment and hiring of under–represented groups.
New Prevention Strategy May Significantly Reduce HIV Infections
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03-15-09: HIV infection in high–risk populations may be substantially reduced by an antiretroviral drug treatment currently being tested in clinical trials, according to a study led by a researcher at the Yale School of Public Health.
Older Women Fare Better, Live Longer than Men after First “Mini Stroke”
03-03-09: Elderly women who suffer a first “mini–stroke" are less likely than men of the same age to be readmitted to a hospital, according to a study led by the Yale School of Public Health.
Young People’s Views of Aging Can Predict Heart Problems in Old Age
02-25-09: Younger people with strong negative stereotypes about the elderly are more likely to experience strokes, heart attacks and other heart problems when they grow old, a researcher at the Yale School of Public Health has found.
After a Health Crisis, a Window of Opportunity for Major Lifestyle Change
02-19-09: Older adults with poor health habits appear to be much more likely to quit smoking or lose weight following a serious health diagnosis, a Yale School of Public Health researcher has found.
Diversity Day Demystifies Public Health for Underrepresented Students
02-13-09: The Yale School of Public Health’s Eighth Annual Diversity Day touched on seatbelts, salmonella, and statistics to give area high school students an idea of the many available career paths the field offers.
Yale–NCI Training Program Renewed for Five Years
02-09-09: A unique fellowship between the Yale School of Public Health and the National Cancer Institute has been renewed for another five years, giving students at YSPH the chance to pursue their Ph.D. degrees in Washington with access to mentors and research in both places.
Professor to Study Russia's AIDS Epidemic as 2009 Fulbright Scholar
01/30/09: Professor Robert Heimer will work and lecture in Russia with support from a 2009 Fulbright Scholarship.
Global Health the Focus of Upcoming Symposium
01-22-09: In addition to the complex political, economic and social challenges facing the Obama administration, a host of unresolved global health care issues will compete for the new president’s attention.
Public Health Community Gathers to Honor Martin Luther King
01-21-09: Each year around his namesake weekend, the Yale School of Public Health’s Diversity Committee honors Martin Luther King, Jr. with a luncheon in which poems, speeches and other writings—by Dr. King, his contemporaries and those he inspired—sparked thought and discussion.
Research on Status Dynamics in Hospitals Garners Best Paper Award
01-12-09: Hospitals are full of highly educated and motivated people with a wide variety of skills, making it an environment where professional status differences can flourish and, if not checked, affect the work–related behavior of those who feel inferior in rank.
School Interventions Effective in Childhood Obesity Prevention and Control
01-08-09: A team of Yale University researchers has found that school-based programs for obesity prevention and reversal are generally effective and are an important component in battling what many regard as a national epidemic.
Many Resident Physicians “Getting By” Instead of Using Professional Interpreters with Patients
01-06-09: Many physicians fail to use readily available interpreters with their non-English speaking patients, opting for “getting by” with their own limited foreign language skills or using a patient’s friend or family member, research conducted in part by the Yale School of Public Health has found.
