UC Berkeley Public Health

05/29/2026

Sharing moments from last week’s commencement ceremony...we are still feeling the glow! Congratulations to all our grads and their families! 💙💛🐻
Video/photos: , ,

05/27/2026

In a Q&A, UC Berkeley Public Health infectious disease expert Charlie Whittaker discusses the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Said Whittaker: "The first thing worth saying about this outbreak is that it’s already the third largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded.

And it started that way, which is the worrying part. For an outbreak to be that big the moment we notice it means the virus had been spreading quietly for some time before anyone recognised what was happening."

He warns that the specific Bundibugyo strain lacks the advanced vaccines and treatments available for other variants. However, the risk to the American public remains very low due to the virus's non-airborne transmission and the effectiveness of established containment protocols.

Read more: https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/news/commentary/how-worried-should-you-be-about-ebola

Infectious disease expert Dr. Charles Whittaker on how public health can stop a pandemic.

05/26/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 UC Berkeley Public Health Alum of the Year, Joseph O'Neill MD, MPH ’83! 🌟 Dr. O'Neill was selected based on his outstanding contributions to the field of public health. He was the first director of the Ryan White Program and the architect of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a White House initiative credited with saving over 25 million lives. Under President George W. Bush, Dr. O’Neill also served as director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy; and was one of the first openly gay men on the White House Domestic Policy Council, a post which put him in the crosshairs of advocacy groups on all sides.

Dr. O'Neill was awarded by Dean Michael Lu and Public Health Alumni Association President Tia Gangopadhyay at the May 19 commencement ceremony.

Read more about our alumni: https://ow.ly/P8K050Z3qpP

05/22/2026

Big congratulations 🎉 to this year's winners of the Zak Sabry Mentorship Award at UC Berkeley Public Health: Clinical Professor of Community Health Sciences Colette (Coco) ​Auerswald and Senior Project Data Analyst and lecturer Andrew Mertens! 🎖️

The Zak Sabry Mentorship Award was established in 2004 on the occasion of the retirement of Professor Zak Sabry (1933-2025) in tribute to his outstanding commitment to mentoring. The award is given to faculty members who have a distinguished record of mentorship and have been nominated by a graduating student.

Professor Auerswald received two nominations; here's one quote from her nominator: “She leads with empathy, respect, and a genuine commitment to uplifting others, which creates a powerful model for students pursuing careers in public health and social impact. She does not just teach content; she mentors students to think critically, act compassionately, and become leaders in their fields.”

Dr. Mertens's heartfelt nomination included this statement: “What truly sets Dr. Mertens apart is the humanity he brings into his mentorship. He connects with students in a way that makes them feel seen, supported, confident, welcomed, and capable. His openness, including sharing his own academic journey and challenges, transforms the way students understand their own experiences. “

Both received their awards from Dean Michael C. Lu during our May 19 commencement ceremony. We are incredibly honored to have these two bright stars in our constellation of world-class faculty! 🌟

05/21/2026

A new study led by UC Berkeley Public Health PhD student Emily Liu reveals that rates of violence against women in California have remained largely unchanged for nearly two decades, with marginalized groups facing the highest risks.

Analyzing hospital and mortality data from 2005 to 2022, the research highlights how deep-seated structural racism disproportionately impacts Black women, who experience assault injuries at a rate 3.8 times higher than white women.

While these disparities remain heavily entrenched, the authors emphasize that community-based programs and systemic solutions targeting historic underinvestment offer vital hope for driving down violence at the local level.

https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/spotlight/research/violence-against-women-remains-high

A UC Berkeley study of California hospital data reveals persistent racial disparities and the higher risks faced by Black, multiracial and Indigenous women.

05/20/2026

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! 🎉 The UC Berkeley School of Public Health celebrated its 81st commencement at the Greek Theatre on May 19, 2026, honoring a new class of 500+ graduates whom Dean Michael C. Lu dubbed “the changemakers.”

Keynote speaker Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann shared the theme that "public health is not a luxury," inspiring graduates to challenge the status quo and focus on population-level well-being.

Looking toward the future, Dean Lu urged the class to maintain their passion for systemic progress, advising them, “Be the last to accept the world as it is [and] be the first to ask, ‘How can we make it better?’”

We can't wait to see the change our grads will make in the world of public health, and we couldn't be prouder. 🐻 🎓

UCBPH celebrated the class of 2026 before an exuberant crowd at the Greek Theatre.

05/15/2026

A recent study published in Nature Communications reveals that asymptomatic mpox infections are more prevalent than previously thought and likely act as a major driver of disease transmission. Lead author Dr. Joseph A. Lewnard and his colleagues at Kaiser Permanente Research and elsewhere found that only a small fraction of infections are diagnosed, highlighting the critical need to renew vaccination efforts to better control the spread.

Read more. https://ow.ly/27to50YZQGI

Symptomless mpox infections may fuel transmission of disease among men who have s*x with men.

05/14/2026

Congratulations! 🌟 🎓 Graduating senior Shrida Pandey has achieved a rare triple honor, receiving prestigious awards from the Chancellor’s Office, the School of Public Health, and UC Berkeley for her exceptional commitment to health equity. These accolades recognize her extensive service to underrepresented communities and will support her upcoming project, Khāna & Care, which focuses on culturally responsive nutrition for Nepali communities.

Read more: https://ow.ly/5g0b50YZeIU

In an unusual triple honor, Pandey has won a Chancellor’s Award for Public Service, the UCBPH Margen Award, and the Stronach Baccalaureate Prize.

05/13/2026

Congrats 🎉 to UC Berkeley graduating senior Destiny Brijettney Ceja, who has been honored with the Henrik L. Blum Award for Distinguished Social Action for her commitment to social justice and healthcare equity.

A dual major in neurobiology and public health, Ceja balanced her rigorous studies with extensive volunteer work, providing bilingual translation and medical assistance to immigrant and low-income communities. Following a gap year coaching speech and debate, she plans to apply to medical school with the goal of opening a community-focused clinic grounded in public health values.

Read more: https://ow.ly/8sOJ50YZ5hS

The award is given annually to a graduating student whose public health activities symbolize a spirit of social justice and democratic action.

05/08/2026

2026 UC Berkeley Public Health Undergraduate Commencement Speaker Misha Afnani is turning her personal experiences with healthcare inequity into a career of advocacy. After witnessing systemic barriers first-hand at an urgent care clinic and in her own family, the UC Berkeley transfer student shifted her focus to research and policy to ensure every patient—regardless of background—receives quality care.

Currently an undergraduate researcher at the Institute for Global Health Sciences, Misha is headed to UCLA this fall for an MPH in epidemiology. Catch her sharing her inspiring journey the 2026 UC Berkeley School of Public Health Commencement on May 19! 🎓✨

https://ow.ly/VUYZ50YWlWS

How working in the healthcare system led an undergraduate away from medical school and towards the field of public health.

05/07/2026

Join us live on Tuesday, May 19 at 2 p.m. PST for the UC Berkeley Public Health Commencement livestream and celebrate our amazing class of 2026 with us! Over 500 students will walk across the stage to receive their Bachelor's in Public Health, MPH, PhD and DrPH degrees.

Our keynote address will be delivered by 1988 alum Sue Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH.
Undergraduate student speaker: Misha Afnani
Graduate student speaker: Bhavya Joshi, DrPH ‘26, MA

https://ow.ly/8wVy50YVRpk

Join us on Tuesday, May 19 at 2 p.m. PST to watch our amazing class of 2026 walk across the stage! This year's keynote speaker will be UC Berkeley Public He...

05/06/2026

The UC Berkeley School of Public Health Social Impact Team was thrilled to sponsor the Rural Health Policy Hackathon the weekend of May 13-16. Check out this short video that provides an overview of the event that took place on March 16, when 6 student teams pitched their solutions to the audience and a panel of esteemed judges.

Big congrats to the winning teams and thanks to all of the student participants, mentors, judges (Sarita Mohanty, Michael Valle, and Suzanne Rivera), panelists (Nikita Singareddy, Nate Favini, and Jonah Frohlich), and sponsors (Manatt, Centene and Fortuna Health) who made the event possible!

https://youtu.be/EvJ_EsmfX9M

05/05/2026

Congrats to UC Berkeley PhD student Bhavya Joshi, who has won the 2026 Meredith Minkler Award! 🎉 Joshi is a research fellow at the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center and a global public health researcher with more than a decade of experience in South Asia, East Africa, and Europe. Her doctoral research focused on working in reproductive health with refugee populations in Kenya.

Inaugurated in 2025, the prize honors Professor Emerita Meredith Minkler’s legacy by recognizing a graduating student who demonstrates exceptional commitment to social justice, community organizing, and health equity.

Joshi will also give the graduate student address at the 2026 UC Berkeley Public Health commencement on May 19. A true public health powerhouse! 🌟

Full story: https://ow.ly/wfz750YVafn

The prize is given to a student who demonstrates exceptional commitment to community-based research, organizing, social justice, and/or advocacy.

04/29/2026

In the most recent episode of The Other 80, Investor and author Halle Tecco shares insights on health tech entrepreneurship, emphasizing the need for founders to be "bilingual" in both healthcare and technology while avoiding the pitfalls of "hustle culture."

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-shot-halle-tecco-on-aligning-mission-margin/id1670734016?i=1000763024892

Podcast Episode · The Other 80 · April 22 · 31m

04/28/2026

Growing up in Nipomo in San Luis Obispo County, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences David J.X. Gonzalez’s childhood was shaped by the environmental injustices he witnessed in his own backyard.

He saw firsthand how industrial pollution—like the 40-year Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes oil spill—disproportionately impacted the health of humans and wildlife, sparking a lifelong commitment to environmental equity. These early experiences now fuel his research, driving him to provide the scientific evidence necessary to protect communities like the one where he was raised.

Read more: https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/spotlight/faculty/science-is-an-act-of-hope

Dr. David J.X. Gonzalez works to protect communities from environmental harms like air pollution and oil and gas emissions.

04/25/2026

UC Berkeley has appointed renowned environmental health scholar Rachel Morello-Frosch as its inaugural Associate Provost for Energy, Climate, and Environment. Starting July 1, she will foster interdisciplinary research to tackle global crises. 🌍

As a professor in Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management and the School of Public Health, Morello-Frosch researches the environmental justice impacts of climate change, air pollution and exposure to dangerous chemicals. She is also a current Radcliffe-Salata Climate Justice Fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.

Morello-Frosch stated, “I'm very excited to take on this position because there's so much transformative, socially beneficial research going on at Berkeley."

Congratulations to Professor Morello-Frosch! 🌟

https://ow.ly/4MnB50YPuUA

The public health expert and Berkeley professor will unite scholars across campus to address crucial environmental challenges.

04/23/2026

A UC Berkeley School of Public Health study found under 3% of California pharmacies offer PrEP despite laws expanding access. Barriers like reimbursement, stigma, and low awareness persist, limiting use of highly effective HIV prevention drugs, especially among disproportionately affected populations.

The research, published April 20 on the CHPRC website, was led by Stefano M. Bertozzi, professor of Health Policy and Management, and Lauren Hunter, a UC Berkeley postdoctoral scholar.

https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/spotlight/research/few-pharmacists-prescribe-game-changer-hiv-drug

Investigators found that out of 910 pharmacies surveyed, only 31 offered pharmacist-initiated PrEP services.

04/21/2026

In 1963, UC Berkeley Public Health alum Mary Blackburn, MPH '65, rushed to catch a plane after being urged to join the school's new public health nutrition program. Despite family, career, and financial challenges and living in the segregated South, she felt the move signaled a larger purpose.

In 2025, “Dr. B,” as her colleagues affectionately call her, retired from her position with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources as a UC Cooperative Extension nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor for Alameda County. Over her 63-year career, Blackburn, the fifth of 13 children born to Alabama sharecroppers, has touched the lives of thousands of Californians.

Now, she is featured in a new UC Berkeley mural celebrating “150 Years of Women," located in the UC Berkeley Undergraduate Academic Building.

https://ow.ly/WXme50YNGnB

UCBPH alumna Mary Blackburn overcame racism and s*xism to build a meaningful career based on uplifting the communities around her.

04/20/2026

UC Berkeley Public Health community: Do you (or your organization) have a project that is a strong fit for an MPH student? We invite partners to host MPH students through collaborative practicum experiences, including short-term projects, summer practicums or internships, and multi-semester engagements.

Visit https://ow.ly/IM8r50Y4vBN to learn how to host and stay updated on upcoming partnership opportunities. Please share this invitation with colleagues and others in your network who may be interested. ⭐

04/18/2026

Billions around the globe lack electricity, relying on harmful biomass fuels that cause millions of deaths--particularly for women and children. A new Lancet series featuring Professors of Environmental Health Ajay Pillarisetti, Laura Kwong, and Misbath Daouda highlights clean, reliable energy as essential to health, stressing affordability, consistent use, and policy action to improve global health.

https://ow.ly/KlWg50YLpYh

04/16/2026

UC Berkeley Public Health alumna and rural health champion Lynn Barr has pledged a historic $90 million estate gift to the School of Public Health to fund scholarships for future healthcare leaders. 🌟

Building on her previous support for rural health innovation, this transformational contribution aims to remove financial barriers for students dedicated to solving systemic disparities and improving care for underserved communities.

https://ow.ly/iHLP50YKvSB

A $90 million estate pledge from distinguished alumna Lynn Barr is set to transform UCBPH by providing scholarships to public health leaders of tomorrow.

04/14/2026

In March, over 140 UC Berkeley students participated in the UC Berkeley Public Health Rural Health Hackathon, the brainchild of Impact Fellow Nikita Singareddy. Winners pitched AI and community-driven models to address maternal health and doctor shortages, securing $6000 in prizes for their practical, high-impact solutions.

Winning projects:
1st place: The Bridge Model, a three-pillar proposal to improve maternal health. Team: Ishika Sachdeva, Anya Fang, Medha Lohani, Tantravahi and Shrida Pandey.

2nd place: A rural health network featuring AI wearables from Uniqsha Batool.

3rd place: First to Fourth, helping to improve rural health "birthing deserts" with care from midwives. Team: Andie Yi, Bianca Chiu, Eesha Garimella and Sophia Cheng.

The event was sponsored by Manatt, Centene, and Fortuna Health; teams were judged by by Sarita Mohanty of the SCAN Foundation, Michael Valle of the California Department of Health Care Access and Information, and Suzanne Rivera of McKinsey.

https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/news/social-impact/solving-rural-healths-thorniest-problems

Public Health’s Rural Health Hackathon let UC Berkeley students pitch practical health solutions.

04/10/2026

In a Q & A with UC Berkeley Public Health, acclaimed epidemiologist and alumnus Sir Michael Marmot discusses his lifelong work on health equity. He explores how social determinants—like education and income—shape our well-being, arguing that achieving global health requires addressing the underlying "causes of the causes."

On April 13, Sir Marmot will present as part of Social Forces/Clinical Cases, an event promoting a new series from The Lancet, Cases in Global Social Medicine. This series centers real clinical cases from around the world that together form a practical social medicine toolkit.

Read the interview: https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/spotlight/alumni/a-conversation-with-michael-marmot

RSVP for Social Forces/Clinical Cases (zoom), 4/13, 4:30 p.m PST: https://events.berkeley.edu/bph/event/318273-social-forcesclinical-cases

How the realization that health outcomes are directly tied to social status led to a framework to reduce health inequalities.

04/09/2026

IN-PERSON EVENT: Prevention and Early Detection: Research and Practice
Saturday, April 25, 2026
1:30-3:30pm PST

Hear from leading experts Dr. Esti Iturralde, Dr. Christos Theophanous, and Dr. Cindy Lau on applied research in the fields of mental health, ophthalmology, and cardiovascular care. Gain insights on how their research has informed population-level prevention campaigns and data-informed interventions. Sponsored by the UC Berkeley Public Health Alumni Association (PHAA).

RSVP by April 19: https://ow.ly/SPSJ50YFbM6

04/08/2026

The Journey to Development and Approval for the Treatment of MASH with Liver Fibrosis: The Resmetirom Story
Seminar & Fireside Chat with Dr. Rebecca Taub
Tuesday, April 14, 2 p.m. PST
UC Berkeley campus/online

Please join us for a seminar presented by UC Berkeley School of Public Health's Forum for Collaborative Research with Founder, Director, and Senior Medical and Scientific Advisor at Madridal Pharmaceuticals Dr. Rebecca Taub. Dr. Taub is the Industry Co-Chair of The Liver Forum Steering Committee within The Forum for Collaborative Research at UC Berkeley.

Seminar at 2 p.m. to be followed by a Fireside Chat, light refreshments will be served
In-Person Registration Link: https://forumresearch.formstack.com/forms/forum_april
Webinar Registration Link: https://berkeley.zoom.us/meeting/register/YpM2PyDBSKWEmgJLXuqhdw #/registration