Mifepristone is under FDA review. Professor Liz Tobin-Tyler & colleagues write that the FDA "should protect continued access to the medication not only based on the undeniable scientific evidence affirming its safety—but also because it will save the lives of intimate partner violence survivors.."

New Rhode Island bills—aimed at protecting the state's health care system from #privateequity and corporate medicine—are informed by analyses from researchers in Brown's Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research. Learn how the RI legislation differs from a new Mass law at the link.

Snowed in?❄️ The 12 scholarly articles in Issue 4 of the Brown Undergraduate Journal of Public Health range from maternal health to mindfulness to Dengue fever.⤵️ 📢 Students! Submissions are being accepted for Issue 5! https://sph.brown.edu/news/2026-02-26/bujph-issue4

Mpox threatened the US first in 2022, killing 58. But the story was different in 2024. Distinguished Senior Fellows @nikkiromanik.bsky.social and @spsaki.bsky.social write that "the two mpox responses in the US highlight a public health truism—when preparedness works, it is often invisible."

wrote about the decline in people seeking careers in public service for @newrepublic.com -- a detrimental trend that existed before this administration but it is almost certainly going to accelerate during it. newrepublic.com/article/2066...

Following the blizzard, Brown will adjust campus operations on Wednesday, February 25. Classes should be held either remotely or in person at the instructor's discretion. Essential staff will report to work as directed. Staff who can perform their work remotely should do so. More: brown.edu.

“Sometimes ‘ask your doctor’ is really good advice, because your doctor has a lot of information," @brownbiostatistics.bsky.social Professor Alyssa Bilinski says. “But ‘ask your doctor’ cannot substitute for underinvestment in research over decades.”

The 2nd annual ✨Recovery and Harm Reduction Film Festival✨ will bring together @brown.edu and local community members Feb 27 & 28 to reduce stigma around addiction, recovery and harm reduction through film and art.🎥 Learn more at the link! #harmreductionsaveslives

Doctoral student Alexandra Skinner wrote about how the Twin Cities needs a response that provides people with economic supports in dealing with the city's ICE presence, much like was done during COVID-19. www.startribune.com/mn-ice-drawd...

Exciting news!📢 #BrownSPH announces a redesigned in-person MPH curriculum starting Fall 2026! A new methods-based model emphasizes rigor, flexibility & career readiness with 5 new concentrations and customizable elective bundles. Learn more about the future of public health education at @brown.edu#BrownSPH⬇️

NEW EPISODE🎙️Get to know new #BrownSPH Dean Dr. Francesca Beaudoin. She has been learning and leading at @brown.edu#BrownSPHfor 20 years. Now, she steps into the role of Interim Dean. LISTEN: https://humans-in-public-health.captivate.fm/episode/student-scholar-dean-francesca-beaudoin-on-20-years-at-brown

Professor @dignityneurosci.bsky.social & researcher Roza Spencer apply a "dignity neuroscience" lens to recent events, showing the ways human rights are grounded in brain function. "Disambiguating these violations to intrinsic human dignity may provide a step toward healing," they write.

Thank you Providence!❤️ On December 13th, the people of Providence & RI showed @brown.edu the true meaning of community. Now #BrownSPH students, faculty, staff & alumni can give back to the city we love! #evertrue #BrownLovesProvidence Learn more! ⤵️ https://www.brown.edu/brown-loves-providence

“These are really complicated issues," @brown.edu President Christina Paxson said to open the Summit on the Future of Health Policy in RI. The discussions that followed proved her right as researchers, officials and leaders challenged one another with competing perspectives at the daylong event. ⤵️

Building on decades of evidence supporting mindfulness for stress reduction & cardiovascular health, a new study by Professor @ericbloucks.bsky.social finds that a #mindfulness trial, designed to lower blood pressure, significantly reduced depression, especially for those with early-life adversity.

“It's ideology, not science that's doing this,” says Professor @drsethberkley.bsky.social, senior advisor to the @brown.edu @pandemiccenter.bsky.social, of the FDA's refusal to review Moderna’s application for approval of an mRNA-based flu vaccine.💉

Hey Brown University students 👋 Spend a semester in DC completing an internship aligned with your goals while staying enrolled at Brown. Fall 2026 Brown in Washington applications are now open Info session today: 2:30–4 PM, Hemisphere Building (Room 103) events.brown.edu/event/325918...

The Summit on the Future of Health Policy in Rhode Island brought policymakers, researchers, students & community leaders to @brown.edu. Thanks to the distinguished guests who joined CAHPR to advance affordable, accessible healthcare for RI! https://www.brown.edu/news/2026-02-11/health-policy-summit

SAVE THE DATE Join Brown University's Office of Diversity & Inclusion on Feb 23 for the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture, “Where We Went from There: Notes on King and Democracy in Times of Trouble,” by @jelaniya.bsky.social RSVP at the link today! #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistoryMonth2026

When COVID suspended Medicare's longtime 3-day rule, it allowed for a natural experiment: Does the rule cause unnecessary hospital days? And what are its health impacts? Learn at the link how many thousands of additional hospital days researchers found just one month after the rule's reinstatement.

“Though we may be separated by distance, we are united in grief and in love for this community.” —Patricia Poitevien, Vice President for Campus Life ❤️ #evertrue

This March, Brown University will launch its first Climate Week—a celebration of ideas, innovation, & action for a sustainable future. Learn more: https://ibes.brown.edu/news-events/brown-climate-week Brown University School of Public Health Cogut Institute for the Humanities Watson School at Brown

STARTING SOON: Roll up your sleeve today and save 3 lives! Join the @ribloodcenter.bsky.social on Mon 2/9 anytime between 10am and 5pm at the @brown.edu Brook St Health & Wellness Center. Walk ins are welcome! More info at the link.⤵️

The University Memorial Service will begin today at 4 p.m. EST Alumni, family and friends are invited to watch the service at livestream.brown.edu.

Are you subscribed to In Focus? Every other week the newsletter rounds up highlights from #BrownSPH. Stay connected to the School of Public Health and subscribe at the link today. ⤵️ https://communications.sph.brown.edu/resources/newsletters

“The fact that these states are coming together is a generally positive step,” @pandemiccenter.bsky.social director Professor @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social tells @sciam.bsky.social. “But make no mistake: it is not going to replace what the CDC once did, and Americans will be harmed as a result.”

The US gets faster and wider access to new drugs because its government moves quicker than foreign regulators, right? A new analysis suggests that US drug access is actually driven less by faster government review than previously thought. https://sph.brown.edu/news/2026-02-04/drug-access

📅 Feb 6 | 11:00 AM ET How can AI & open science reshape verification of the Biological Weapons Convention? Join leading experts to explore opportunities, risks, and what this means for global biosecurity. Registration open ⤵️ brown.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

⚓Attention Rhode Island policymakers, researchers & community leaders focused on the health challenges facing our state! You're invited to a free, day-long summit on February 11th to advance a health care system that is more affordable, accessible & equitable. Please note: Registration is required.

Are you struggling to find health care coverage? Professor Ateev Mehrotra and other experts weigh in with advice on how to make your care more affordable.

Director Kim Cobb reflects on how far IBES has come in recent years and all that lies ahead for the Institute, including serving as lead sponsor for Brown's first-ever Climate Week! Mark your calendar for March 2–7, and look out for more details on this campus-wide event series.

“Any level of drinking has some risk, and it increases with more drinking,” Christopher Kahler, Director of the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, previously told USA TODAY.

NEW RESEARCH: @brown-epi.bsky.social scholars have found even low levels of childhood blood #lead concentrations to be associated with self-reported depressive symptoms in later childhood. Learn more ⤵️

Fatal overdoses are rising among adults 45+. On PHRME, Philip Chan of the Rhode Island Dept. of Health discusses reasons for the increase and shares Rhode Island's strategies to reduce stigma, expand naloxone access, and the importance of collaboration. 🎧: https://discover.astho.org/4kgTLpl.

A frozen Woonasquatucket River in Providence, Rhode Island.

Join us this week on 2/6 @ 11AM ET for our next Game Changers Seminar. How can AI & open science reshape verification of the Biological Weapons Convention? Our panel will explore opportunities, risks, and what this means for global biosecurity. Registration open ⤵️ brown.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

How does disease surveillance stop outbreaks before they spiral? In the latest episode, Dr Nasike talks with Dr Issa Makumbi, Director of Uganda’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, about the critical role surveillance plays in global health. podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/s...

ASPPH hosted a media briefing today, calling on Congress to use its oversight authority to reverse the Department of Education’s decision to exclude public health degrees from the “professional degree” category. Watch the recording: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtuJ...

On Wednesday, the Committee For a Responsible Federal Budget hosted its 4th annual Health Solutions Summit, gathering top policymakers and researchers, including Professor @cwhaley.bsky.social for discussion on how to reduce health care costs. Learn more and watch now! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

A new government proposal would keep Medicare Advantage health plans' reimbursement rates flat next year. While the industry predicts service cuts and higher costs, Professor @djmeyers2.bsky.social says that rarely happens. "The plans can still make money," he says.

#WHO says 6 European countries have lost #measles free status because of ongoing transmission. The US is at risk of losing its elimination status, with 2,867 cases so far in 2025–26. Stay informed on emerging threats in our weekly #TrackingReport ⬇️ mailchi.mp/messages/pan...

Despite longtime plans to quit coal, a North Omaha power plant's coal units keep running. @brownbiostatistics.bsky.social Professor Corwin Zigler has shown, contrary to the Omaha Public Power District, that the particulate matter from coal plants is linked to asthma, low birthweight & early death.

The RI Food Bank released its 2025 Status Report on Hunger, an annual collaboration with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI & @brownpublichealth.bsky.social. Findings show unprecedented need for food assistance & growing strain on the charitable food system amid federal impacts: tinyurl.com/dnuwmm2m

A new set of sweeping restrictions on US foreign assistance was finalized on Tuesday. "In scope, scale, and ambiguity, it represents the most expansive, and potentially disruptive, version of ideological restrictions on foreign aid to date," Senior Fellow Stephanie Psaki writes.

A new report by @rifoodbank.bsky.social and #BrownSPH researchers found that, even before the federal shutdown's impact on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), 1 in 3 families across the Ocean State was experiencing food insecurity. rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/01/27/f...

CAAS Associate Professor Hayley Treloar Padovano discusses Dry January (and beyond) with Women's Health.

Collaboration with community is essential for success. That's why our Office of Community Engagement is so grateful for the donor support that funds projects like the partnership between Chapel Hill Senior Living and @brown.edu researchers working to prevent falls and injuries among the elderly.

Join us on 1/30 @ 12PM ET for or webinar on #Measles, discussing a variety of topics including what the loss of our measles elimination status means @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social leads a panel w/ Lori Handy, @childrensphila.bsky.social & Liam Hicks, #AZDHS Register now brown.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

The medical frontline is sticking w/ the @ameracadpeds.bsky.social and prioritizing long-standing medical guidance over recent federal departures from optimal care. Professor @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social, director of the @pandemiccenter.bsky.social, says this “speaks to the triumph of evidence.”