This is YSPH
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The Yale School of Public Health is one of the smallest accredited schools of public health in the United States. Each M.P.H. class has around 120 students, a size that fosters close ties with classmates and faculty, who in turn form the foundation of their career network upon graduation. Students have ample opportunity to meet and work directly with our faculty, 75 of whom teach as well as do research. Formal relationships are forged through academic advising, internship planning and the thesis project.
Founded in 1915 by Charles-Edward Amory Winslow, the Yale School of Public Health is among the oldest schools of public health in the country. During its history, the School has made many important health contributions, including environmental sanitation, polio and cancer and has trained thousands of researchers, practitioners, administrators and educators. As the School approaches its centennial, it continues to draw upon this rich history and tradition as it evolves to meet the health challenges of the 21st century.
Each spring students fan out across the globe for their internship project which becomes a defining experience for most students, exposing them to real-world challenges and giving them a chance to directly apply what they have learned in the classroom. It is, says Dean Paul D. Cleary, a chance “to make a difference in the lives of people.” Shown here: Margo Klar adjusts a monitor in a Honduran kitchen that measures particulate matter in the air. Klar studied the health effects of traditional wood burning stoves on the respiratory system.
Community service is a shared value not just at the Yale School of Public health but throughout the University at large. The Office of Community Health, HealthCore, the Yale Student-Run Free Clinic and the Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE) are just a few of the many organizations committed to improving lives in New Haven and beyond. Shown here: Alumnus Mikhail C.S.S. Higgins educates New Haven elementary school students about health during a community fair conducted in partnership with the Hill Health Center.
The School’s commitment to diversity is seen through research, teaching and community outreach. Our scientists investigate the role of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and other factors in health outcomes. One study seeks to reverse rates of chronic disease in New Haven’s most underserved neighborhoods. The School is also committed to diversifying its faculty and student body and provides research supplements and scholarships to achieve these goals. Shown here: MPH students hike to the top of East Rock Park.
Today our research spans a wide range of topics including cancer, AIDS, pollution, infectious and chronic diseases, and health policy. For the 2010 fiscal year, total grant funding reached over $41 million and made up 70 percent of the school’s budget. Shown here: Yong Zhu, an associate professor in Environmental Health Sciences, uses genetic techniques to identify biomarkers that characterize an inherited predisposition toward certain diseases.

Our Ph.D. program is ranked among the very best in the country. The National Research Council weighed a variety of academic criteria to determine that Yale’s program ranked third nationwide. Ph.D. students are encouraged to engage in interdisciplinary research and to conduct dissertation research abroad. Academic Analytics, meanwhile, ranked YSPH faculty the most productive of all the schools of public health in the country.
Global health is public health and Yale students are exposed to a growing array of global health programs and opportunities. At the School of Public Health, a Global Health Concentration is available for any M.P.H. candidate seeking to broaden and enhance their core studies. At the University level, even more programs, seminars and lectures are available throughout the year for students seeking a global perspective. Shown here: Liberian president, Ellen Johnson Shirleaf, a partner with the Global Health Leadership Initiative, speaks at Battell Chapel.
“Don’t Fence Me,” sang first lady of song, Ella Fitzgerald (Yale Honorary Doctorate, 1986). We recognize that public health intersects with law, environmental studies, social sciences, genomics, spirituality, economics, medical practice and more and so many joint degrees are offered. Shown here: Public health students conduct field studies on mosquitoes and how they transmit disease on the island of Dominica.
In addition to the teaching faculty, YSPH employs hundreds of research scientists and assistants in its 14 research units and associated labs. M.P.H. students are just as likely as Ph.D. candidates to work alongside these mentors in researching chronic disease epidemiology, microbial diseases and more. Shown here: Elizabeth Claus, a professor in the Biostatistics division and an attending neurosurgeon at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, reviews data with students.
Some of the world’s foremost public health authorities visit the School, offering intriguing and challenging views on today’s most pressing health issues. Recently lecturers included John Negroponte (right), former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Margaret Hamburg (center), commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and Sir Michael Marmot (left), a renowned researcher whose Whitehall studies in England clearly established a link between social class and health.
The Vector Ecology Laboratory, housed in the division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, maintains a laboratory colony of I. scapularis (known as the deer tick), and is a leader in both field- and laboratory-based studies on tick-borne pathogens, as well as other vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever and West Nile virus. The Emerging Infections Program, meanwhile, is developing a surveillance system for tick-borne diseases (TBDs) that includes active physician and laboratory surveillance for TBDs and population-based studies.
From the School’s early days, women have played a vital role in advancing public health. In the 1940s, Dorothy Horstmann broke gender barriers while demonstrating that the polio virus reached the nervous system by way of the blood, a discovery that contributed to the development of an oral vaccine. Today, women hold some of the most senior positions at the School and are engaged in research that has health implications for everyone. Shown here: Dorothy Horstmann, Elizabeth Bradley and Serap Aksoy.
Our 4,000-plus alumni remain an integral part of the YSPH community long after earning their degrees. Alumni share their experiences through career service events, recruitment events, mentoring job-seeking students and serving as preceptors for summer internships. Graduates take advantage of the Public Health Career Board and Yale Career Network as well as to recharge their enthusiasm at the annual alumni symposium and awards luncheon. Shown here: Alumnus John Brownstein, PhD '04, helped to create a health map to provide timely and accurate data on disease outbreaks.
School of Public Health students have the rest of a remarkable University at their disposal. With well over 10,000 students, 167,000 living alumni and close to 13 million volumes in its libraries, Yale has something to offer every academic interest. YSPH students are encouraged to take advantage of these rich opportunities through interdisciplinary studies. The campus is also renowned for its beauty with Gothic architecture enclosing quiet courtyards. University galleries, museums and forums with eminent speakers further enhance the student experience.
Established in 1638, New Haven is known for its rich history and great food. Home to Noah Webster, Eli Whitney and Samuel Colt, the city was a hub of activity during the Revolutionary and Civil wars. Today, it is a cultural and entertainment destination. Dining options include the famous Pepe’s and Sally’s pizzerias to numerous Zagat-rated restaurants. The medical community also congregates at the New York Times-reviewed lunch carts which feature everything from Benagali burritos, falafel, pad thai, to the all-American hamburger.
