May 2008
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Special Announcement
Don't miss the Spring Alumni Brunch
and Silent Auction - this Sunday!
April 27 (Sun.), Silent Auction 9 a.m., Program and Brunch 11:30 a.m., Garden Room, Clark Kerr campus
The Public Health Alumni Association board of directors cordially invites faculty and alumni to attend the 2008 Spring Brunch, Annual Meeting, and Silent Auction. Gather with colleagues for food, camaraderie, and an opportunity to support the association's work. Mary Pittman, Dr.P.H. '87, president and CEO, Public Health Institute, will speak on "Public Health Leadership in the 21st Century."
Tickets: $40 ($25 for SPH graduates 2005-2008); RSVP by April 18 to Eileen Pearl at (510) 643-6382 or phaa@berkeley.edu.
Details and auction items
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter featured article: Why Go Nuts?
Many people avoid nuts, thinking they are too fattening. But research now suggests that nuts can, in fact, help with weight control. Here’s the latest on this, plus other news about nuts.
Read article
Photo Gallery: 12th Annual Public Health Heroes
More than 400 guests attended the 12th Annual Public Health Heroes Awards Ceremony, held April 2 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
View photos
Webcasts: Public Health Heroes Lunchtime Presentations
Two of the Public Health Hero honorees gave presentations at the School of Public Health at lunchtime the day of the ceremony. Nancy Aossey, president and CEO of Organizational Hero International Medical Corps, discussed "The Changing Realities of Humanitarian Assistance: Commentary from 22 Years in the Field." Following her presentation, Professor Emeritus Warren Winkelstein moderated a conversation with International Hero Don Francis.
View photos and watch webcasts
View the complete SPH calendar
Annual Edward E. Penhoet Lecture on Biology, Behavior, and Environment: The Future of Drug Safety
April 29 (Tues.), 4-5:30 p.m., 150 University Hall, UC Berkeley Campus
The Edward E. Penhoet Lecture focuses on how biology, behavior, and environment intersect to produce health. Recently there have been significant developments regarding consumer complaints about FDA-approved medical devices and drugs, plus new data on postmarket surveillance and new debates on the use of surrogate endpoints for approvals. For this year's lecture, R. Alta Charo, Warren P. Knowles Professor of Law & Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin, will discuss the future of drug safety.
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Launch of the Berkeley Alliance for Global Health
May 14 (Wed.), 4-7 p.m., Robert Berdahl Auditorum, 105 Stanley Hall, UC Berkeley Campus
The UC Berkeley Alliance for Global Health comprises two tightly linked centers—the Center for Global Public Health and the Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases—that unite more than 80 Berkeley researchers in biology, bioengineering, public health, economics, and law. This official launch of the Alliance is an opportunity to unite the community of nonprofit organizations, industry allies, overseas universities, supporters, and other partners who help transform our research into health impact throughout the world.
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New study finds glamorization of drugs in rap music jumped dramatically over two decades
A new study finds that references to illegal drug use in rap music jumped sixfold in the two decades since 1979, the year when rap made its way from inner-city urban areas to a mainstream audience. Moreover, illegal drug use became increasingly linked during this time period to wealth, glamour, and social standing, raising red flags about its potential influence on young listeners, said Denise Herd, associate professor and author of the study.
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Low cortisol levels found in kids whose mothers who show signs of depression
A new study of young children living in extreme poverty found that those whose mothers showed symptoms of depression had low levels of cortisol, a hormone activated during times of stress, compared with children whose mothers did not exhibit depressive symptoms.
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Recent SPH research publications
Neuhauser L, Kreps GL.
Online cancer communication: Meeting the literacy, cultural and linguistic needs of diverse audiences. Patient Educ Couns. 2008 Apr 16; [Epub ahead of print]
McDonnell DD, Lee HJ, Kim YB, Kazinets G, Moskowitz JM.
Cancer coverage in a mainstream and Korean American online newspaper: Lessons for community intervention.
Patient Educ Couns. 2008 Apr 9; [Epub ahead of print]
McKone TE, Ryan PB, Ozkaynak H.
Exposure information in environmental health research: Current opportunities and future directions for particulate matter, ozone, and toxic air pollutants. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2008 Apr 2; [Epub ahead of print]
Bellows NM, Halpin HA.
Impact of medicaid reimbursement on mental health quality indicators. Health Serv Res. 2008 Apr;43(2):582-97.
MacLeod KE, Gee GC, Crawford P, Wang MC.
Neighbourhood environment as a predictor of television watching among girls. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2008 Apr;62(4):288-92.
Oman D, Shapiro SL, Thoresen CE, Plante TG, Flinders T.
Meditation lowers stress and supports forgiveness among college students: a randomized controlled trial.
J Am Coll Health. 2008 Mar-Apr;56(5):569-78.
Syme SL.
Reducing racial and social-class inequalities in health: the need for a new approach. Health Aff (Millwood). 2008 Mar-Apr;27(2):456-9.
More publications
Recent press
View recent coverage of the School of Public Health in the media
Barbara Staggers to speak at SPH Commencement
Barbara Staggers, M.D, M.P.H. '80, will deliver the keynote speech at the School's Commencement on May 17. Staggers is a nationally recognized authority on the medical, psychosocial, and psychobiological needs of adolescents and is a Berkeley alumna. She is director of adolescent medicine at Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland.
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Carl Lester named 2008 Alumnus of the Year
Carl Lester, M.P.H. '65, will be honored as SPH Alumnus of the Year at the School's Commencement ceremony on May 17. Lester has had a public health career that spans nearly 40 years of challenging and distinguished service. Currently he is director of the Center for Health Career Development, a California nonprofit benefit corporation he established in 2005 to offer challenging and stimulating health career enrichment programs to underrepresented high school students.
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Lee Kaskutas appointed to NIH study section
Lee Kaskutas, Dr.P.H. '92, associate adjunct professor at the School and director of training for the Alcohol Research Group, has been appointed to a study section at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the NIH. Her term of service on the Clinical, Treatment, and Health Services Subcommittee (AA-3) began July 1, 2007, and continues through June 30, 2010. The subcommittee reviews research grant applications that focus on the process, outcome, evaluation, and clinical assessment of treatment for alcoholism, alcohol abuse, and alcohol-related disorders. It specifically reviews research on the clinical and behavioral aspects of pharmacological issues, early and brief interventions, consumption measurements, methodology and experimental designs, clinical populations, diagnostic procedures, therapy assessments, primary care, co-morbidity, behavioral and molecular genetics, and cognitive and neurological issues.
Video: "Hope in the 'Hood"
The video "Hope in the 'Hood" spotlights SPH alumnus Washington Burns, M.D., B.S. '52, who recently was honored with the 2007 Peter E. Haas Service Award for his inspiring work to improve the lives of low-income West Oakland residents.
Watch video
Address updates and alumni notes
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