PHS News Release: AI can drive innovation to achieve health equity and precision population health, experts say

February 1, 2022. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools and applications can drive innovation in population health and reduce health inequities as long as we take advantage of their strengths and cultivate awareness around their limitations. That was the central message from public health, academic, policy, and industry leaders who participated in a December 8th panel session on AI, Precision Health, and Health Equity: Opportunities and Pitfalls. The panel was the latest event in the New Frontiers in Precision Population Health & Health Equity Seminar Series, sponsored by Stanford Center for Population Health Sciences and the Department of Epidemiology & Population Health, and it was also part of the AI + Health Online Conference.

Read the release

E&PH Faculty Spotlight with Mathew Kiang

January 24, 2022. Communications Manager Katie M. Kanagawa interviewed Dr. Mathew Kiang, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health, about his current research on disparities in excess mortality during the pandemic, especially around drug overdoses, his latest work on how we can better prepare for wildfires and power outages, and his participation as a faculty mentor in the AHEaD program's inaugural year. 

Read the full interview

Lorene Nelson & Stanford colleagues win UCB-Stanford Industrial Relations & Digital Health Research Award

February 14, 2022. Ying Lu, together with visiting scholar Ruben van Eijk and Tze Lai and Lu Tian of the Department of Biomedical Data Science and the Center for Innovative Study Design, plus Lorene Nelson of Epidemiology and the Center for Population Health Sciences [pictured here], have recently won an award from UC Berkeley-Stanford Industrial Relations & Digital Health Research Project Solicitations on their proposed project, "Integrating Real World Evidence from Concurrent Registries into ALS Clinical Trials." This award paves the way for software development and training for industry users. 

Read more about the UCB and Stanford Digital Health Research Collaborative

Bonnie Maldonado Will Receive Rare Palo Alto Tall Tree "Global Impact Award"

February 4, 2022. For only the third time ever, this year's Palo Alto Tall Tree Awards ceremony, hosted by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce and Palo Alto Weekly and scheduled for April 21st, will include the Global Impact Award. This special award recognizes a community member whose work has had a long, significant influence beyond Palo Alto in the areas of technology, education, environmental stewardship, medicine, the arts or other fields. The co-recipients of the 2022 Global Impact Award will be Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody and Stanford University Professor Dr. Yvonne "Bonnie" Maldonado, who specializes in pediatrics and epidemiology. Both are being recognized for their unparalleled frontline work during the extended coronavirus pandemic.

Read the full story

Patricia Rodriguez Epinosa's work with Promotoras de Salud Community of Practice recognized by Community Partnership Award

January 31, 2022. "Promotoras de Salud Community of Practice," a partnership developed by E&PH faculty researcher Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa from the ground up as part of the NIH Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities study, has been selected for a Community Partnership Award. This achievement will be recognized at the Community Partnership Awards and Roland Prize Luncheon on March 4, 2022. 

Read more about the CEAL Study

Abby C. King Awarded Miriam Aaron Roland Volunteer Service Prize

January 31, 2022. Dr. Abby C. King, Professor and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health and Professor of Medicine, has been awarded the Miriam Aaron Roland Volunteer Service Prize. She is being celebrated for her commitment to health equity, access, and outcomes. Dr King will be honored at the Community Partnership Awards and Roland Prize Luncheon on March 4th. 

Read more about Dr. King's community-engaged research

Stanford pediatric arbovirologist Desiree LaBeaud’s quest to eradicate mosquito-borne diseases led to an unlikely culprit: plastic trash

February 9, 2022. "In 2021, Stanford pediatrician and arbovirologist Desiree LaBeaud and her colleagues launched the nonprofit organization HERI-Kenya to reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in Kenya by cleaning up the plastic waste where the insects breed."

Access the Stanford Report

Addressing racial/ethnic inequities in vaccine hesitancy and uptake: lessons learned from the California alliance against COVID-19

January 22, 2022. In this new study, Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa & her colleagues in the CA CEAL Communication Working Group explore community-engagement approaches for addressing racial/ethnic inequities in vaccine hesitancy and uptake.

Access the study

Do Ask, Tell, and Show: Contextual Factors Affecting Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Disclosure for Sexual and Gender Minority People

January 21, 2022. "Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people—including members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities—remain underrepresented in health research due to poor collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data. [In this paper, E&PH faculty researchers Mitchell Lunn (pictured here) and Juno Obedin-Maliver] sought to understand the contextual factors affecting how SGM research participants interact with SOGI questions to enhance participant experience and increase the accuracy and sensitivity of research findings."

Access the open-access paper

Remaining Winter 2022 Epi Research Seminars--Mark Your Calendars!

Our weekly Epidemiology Research Seminar (EPI 236) Winter 2022 series has been chock-full of fantastic presentations. We hope you will be able to join us for the following upcoming seminars. For event details as they become available, reference our program web calendar.

• 2/22 Paul Wesson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, UCSF, TBA
• 3/1 Mitchell R. Lunn, MD, MAS, FACP, FASN, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Nephrology), TBA
• 3/8 Alka Kanaya, MD, Professor of Medicine, UCSF, TBA

E&PH Mancala Game Night

Thursday, February 24, 2022, 4:30-5:30pm, Alway Courtyard

The JEDI Committee for Epidemiology and Population Health is hosting a Mancala Game Night to commemorate Black History Month! This quick, fun African counting game dates to over 3,600 years ago in East Africa and continues to be played today. RSVP here and come enjoy a classic game and some snacks!

2022 Virtual JEDI Office Hours 

Next session is March 4th, 1-1:30pm PDT. 

Description: The E&PH Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) Committee has launched office hours for community members to share their ideas, ask questions, and voice concerns related to JEDI. These office hours will take place the first Friday of each month. Contact Katie Kanagawa (kkanagaw@stanford.edu) for dial-in details. 

Read more about our JEDI committee and initiatives