SPH E-NEWS
November 2009
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UC Berkeley Wellness Letter featured article: "Just a Little Bit of Sugar"
Excess sugar intake has been linked to the growing obesity epidemic and related illnesses. But how much is too much? The government's Dietary Guidelines simply advise Americans to limit how much they consume. Now, for the first time, the American Heart Association has proposed specific guidelines: Most women should consume no more than 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons) of added sugars a day; most men, no more than 37.5 grams (about 9 teaspoons). With 4 calories per gram of sugar, that’s no more than 100 calories of added sugars for women, and no more than 150 for men.
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Discussion: Legal challenge to "Healthy San Francisco"
The U.S. Supreme Court is delaying action on a lawsuit filed against Healthy San Francisco, the nation's first citywide health care program until after it hears President Obama's stance. At issue is whether companies with more than 20 employees should have to either provide health care, or pay into a public pot. Professor William H. Dow and others discuss the lawsuit on KQED's Forum with Michael Krasny.
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Introducing the Berkeley Blog
UC Berkeley's best and brightest are often asked to share their insights at the White House, on Wall Street, and with the media worldwide. Now, they are furthering that conversation in a new format: The Berkeley Blog. Fifteen members of the School of Public Health's faculty are contributors to the Berkeley Blog, which features a section on health and medicine.
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Go to the Berkeley Blog
Analysis of studies suggests link between cell phones and brain tumors
An analysis of data from 23 epidemiological studies found no connection between cellphone use and the development of cancerous or benign tumors. But when eight of the studies that were conducted with the most scientific rigor were analyzed, cellphone users were shown to have a 10 to 30 percent increased risk of tumors compared with people who rarely or never used the phones. The risk was highest among those who had used cellphones for 10 years or more.
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Primary care and accountable care—two essential elements of delivery-system reform
In the New England Journal of Medicine, Diane R. Rittenhouse, Dean Stephen M. Shortell, and Elliott S. Fisher write about the "patient-centered medical home" and the "accountable care organization," two complementary models for improving the quality and coordination of health care delivery and reducing cost growth.
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Four new faculty members recently joined the UC Berkeley School of Public Health: Julianna Deardorff, Mahasin Mujahid, Maya Petersen, and Lonnie Snowden. Find out more about their interests, backgrounds, and what brought them to Berkeley.
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Putting the brakes on college drinking
As coordinator of University Health Services' PartySafe@Cal program, Karen Hughes, M.P.H. '88, works to curb students' use of booze by focusing on the factors that inform their drinking choices, rather than lecturing them about the dangers of alcohol.
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Harvard's Dean Julio Frenk speaks at UC Berkeley about the role of public health in meeting global health challenges
Julio Frenk, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, spoke at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health on September 29. In his talk, "Meeting the Challenges of Global Health: The Role of Public Health," he proposed a new framework for thinking about global health.
Full speech
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Center for Infectious Diseases and Emergency Readiness
Fall Lectures
Tuesdays | November 3, 10, 17, & 24 | 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. | 127 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley
- Nov. 3: "Post-disaster Sampling, Surveys, and Rapid Health Assessments," Wayne Enanoria, UC Berkeley CIDER, and Neil Maizlish, City of Berkeley
- Nov. 10: "Homeland Security Exercise & Evaluation Program," Michael Petrie, UC Berkeley CIDER; "Environmental Health Disaster Preparedness and Response," Rick Kreutzer, Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control, CDPH
- Nov. 17: "Introduction to Risk Communication for Emergency Preparedness and Response," Linda Neuhauser, UC Berkeley Health Research for Action
- Nov. 24: "Complex Humanitarian Emergencies," Chris Stewart, San Francisco General Hospital; "Essentials of Emergency Project Management," Tomás Aragón, UC Berkeley CIDER
These presentations are part of a series of lectures offered in the Fall 2009 course Public Health 257B: Public Health Preparedness & Emergency Response.
More info
Webcasts of previous fall lectures
American Public Health Association 137th Annual Meeting and Exposition: Water and Public Health
Saturday-Wednesday | November 7-11 | Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA
The American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Exposition is the oldest and largest gathering of public health professionals in the world, attracting more than 13,000 national and international physicians, administrators, nurses, educators, researchers, epidemiologists, and related health specialists. APHA's meeting program addresses current and emerging health science, policy, and practice issues in an effort to prevent disease and promote health.
More info
UC Berkeley Social Hour at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting
Monday | November 9 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Franklin 7, Philadelphia
Join alumni and friends at this reception held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association.
Open to all alumni and friends of the School; you need not be registered for the conference to attend the reception.
More info
Cal Alumni Club of the Monterey Peninsula Luncheon and Lecture: Berkeley's Stem Cell Research
Tuesday | November 10 | 11:30 a.m. | Casa Munras Garden Hotel, 700 Munras Ave., Monterey, CA
Speaker: Randy Schekman, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and Co-Director of the Berkeley Stem Cell Center
Hear about the science, medical applications, and bioethics of human embryonic stem cell research, where stem cells come from, how they can be grown, how they can be used to study and treat genetic and possibly non-genetic human diseases. What are the ethical implications and impacts of new discoveries?
RSVP by November 1 to Joan Lam '62, joanlam@juno.com or 831-626-4892
$25, includes tax and gratuity; choice of chicken breast, pork tenderloin, or vegetarian selection of the day.
The Campaign for the School of Public Health
Scholars in new program focus on underserved, vulnerable populations
Last spring the School announced the launch of Kaiser Permanente Public Health Scholars Program, an ambitious initiative designed to meet the increasing need for highly educated public health workers. Funded by a $5 million grant from a fund established in 2004 by Kaiser Permanente at the East Bay Community Foundation, the program is expected to expand California's public health workforce, with an emphasis on recruiting students from underserved communities and placing them in health departments and other organizations that serve vulnerable populations. The first cohort of 14 Kaiser Permanente Public Health Scholars entered the School this fall.
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Healthier lives in a safer world
A gift to the School of Public Health is an investment that pays dividends in the form of longer life expectancy, lower health care costs, higher productivity and prosperity, and better quality of life—for you, your family, your community, and your world.
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New Alumni Challenge: Quadruple your impact!
Join the next generation of alumni who are committed to keeping Cal the No. 1 public university in the world!
The New Alumni Challenge invites all undergraduate and graduate alumni from the Classes of 2005 through 2010 to participate in a first-ever 3:1 match for all contributions up to $1,000. That means a donation of $25 (when combined with the $75 match) will equal $100 for Cal, while $1,000 will increase to $4,000! Every gift you make up to $1,000—no matter what size—will help preserve the vital programs that directly impact the Berkeley experience.
Make a gift and quadruple your impact now
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