The Benito Bowl x public health collaboration we’ve all been waiting for

Fostering interconnected, inclusive, and interdisciplinary public health communities within and beyond Yale is not just a strategic priority for the Yale School of Public Health, it’s the mission of our new Office of Community & Practice. https://ow.ly/tOTt50Y5Gvy

Dr. Joan K. Monin, PhD, launched an independent study about aging health policy that takes students out of the classroom and into Connecticut’s communities and the wood-paneled rooms of the State Capitol. https://ow.ly/Js9J50Y5FjW

PopHIVE is on a mission to reimagine health data for all. And they just launched a newsletter. Sign up to get the latest on their dashboards, data sets, and blog posts in your inbox: https://pophive.m-pages.com/pophive-newsletter-signup

"I came here to survive," wrote Dr. Eman Salih. "Yale empowered me to thrive— and to help others do the same." Read Dr. Salih's story, in her own words, in our latest Science & Society magazine: m.yale.edu/dfn3

Harmonizing for Health, a collaboration between YSPH, NYC Health + Hospitals (the largest municipal hospital system in the country), and Juilliard Extension, seeks to identify the unique role music could have in relieving health care staff burnout and compassion fatigue. https://ow.ly/M7Zi50Y5CQ3

STAT has named Katelyn Jetelina as an influencer shaping health information online. Dr. Jetelina is a faculty member at the Yale School of Public Health and the founder of Your Local Epidemiologist, a newsletter that reaches over 425,000 readers across 132 countries. https://ow.ly/Gc3N50Y4XBX

During an upcoming Harvard Chan Studio event, two deans of leading schools of public health—@meganranney.bsky.social of @yalesph.bsky.social and @deanbaccarelli.bsky.social—will explore how to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape in public health education. Register to join us on Feb 5 at 1 pm ET:

PopHIVE is excited to announce the launch of a new dashboard on injury & overdose. Explore a variety of data sets related to firearm injuries, motor vehicle accidents, overdoses, heat-related illness, falls, and more. 🔗 www.pophive.org/injury-overdose/

In 2022, Dr. Foege joined us for a final, profound conversation on the history of global health. He left our students with a simple message: “Get the science right. Add art. Get a moral compass. Put those three things together, and now you have moral, creative, common sense at its best.” 3/4

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. William H. Foege, MD, who died this weekend after an iconic public health career. Dr. Foege was pivotal in the global vaccination campaign that led to the eradication of smallpox — the first time in history that an infectious disease was defeated. 1/4

We are delighted to announce that, following an international search, Dr. Magdalena Cerdá, DrPH, MPH ’99, has been appointed Chair of the Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health. Read more: m.yale.edu/dfk2

Yale epidemiologist Dr. Amy Bei is pursuing a radical new approach to fighting malaria: vaccines that not only protect individuals from infection but stop entire communities from spreading the potentially deadly disease. Learn how her team is meeting malaria where it lives: m.yale.edu/dfbk

We are excited to announce that Doctor Mike Varshavski — the most popular doctor in the world with over 30 million followers — will be joining Dean @meganranney.bsky.social for a fireside chat on Feb 10. This event is open to members of the Yale community only. Register now: m.yale.edu/dfgk.

Dearest gentle readers, January arrives not merely with resolutions, but with the most charitable of deeds, for it is Blood Donor Month. How splendid it is that one may usher in the new year by saving lives with the simplest of gestures. We do hope every eligible person heeds this honorable call.

A surge in colorectal cancer among people under 50 in the United States has both doctors and the cancer research community deeply concerned. A new study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health may provide important insights: m.yale.edu/dd3w

Two illustrious Yale professors and friends, Drs. Curtis Patton and James Comer, are the subject of a new double portrait honoring their careers. Read about Patton's legacy of community in the latest issue of our Science & Society magazine: m.yale.edu/ddrn

A new pair of studies from Prof. Joan K. Monin, as well as collaborators, suggests that when a parent is living with dementia or depression, the consequent financial stress becomes a hidden source of emotional turmoil for millions of U.S. families. https://m.yale.edu/dd86

In a new interdisciplinary Yale study, researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 — the virus responsible for COVID-19 — is weakening within the animal kingdom: https://news.yale.edu/2026/01/09/sars-cov-2-decline-animals-study-finds

Researchers at the Yale School of Public Health estimate that the United States could reduce its annual spending on outpatient prescription drugs by $184 billion — a 51% decrease — if domestic prices were aligned with those in other high-income nations. https://m.yale.edu/dd85

Congratulations to YSPH's @jasonlschwartz.bsky.social & @annezinkmd.bsky.social, who have been appointed to the Board of Advisers of the Vaccine Integrity Project, a new initiative launched by the University of Minnesota that provides trusted, science-based information on vaccines.

We are thrilled to share that Dr. Deb Houry MD, MPH, a nationally recognized physician and public health leader, has joined the Yale School of Public Health as a lecturer and senior fellow in the Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology. Read more: m.yale.edu/dd7p

The CDC's new childhood immunization schedule represents one of the most dramatic changes in childhood disease prevention policy in decades. Keep reading for what parents should know ⬇️ 1/5

Recent Yale School of Public Health research explores: ➡️ A new approach for improving genetic risk prediction using electronic health records ➡️ How interstate gun trafficking impacts firearm research ➡️ How deteriorating neighborhoods impact health Read more ➡️ m.yale.edu/ddtg

A Yale study finds that existing facilities lag, providing important insights for policymakers looking to improve access to and quality of care. ⬇️ https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/medicaid-reimbursement-boosts-access-to-opioid-treatment/

Our recent paper, "Optimal Annual COVID-19 Vaccine Boosting Dates Following Previous Booster Vaccination or Breakthrough Infection", is amongst the most-read recent articles in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Maybe because everyone can benefit from reading it? academic.oup.com/cid/article-...

⚠️ Measles update: As of December 22, the U.S. has now seen 2,003 measles cases this year. 📍 The large outbreak on the Utah–Arizona border continues to grow. 📍 The outbreak in South Carolina continues to increase. 📍 Rockland County, New York, is also experiencing an outbreak. 1/2

Once a week since the fall of 2021, Professors @thehowie.bsky.social and @hmkyale.bsky.social have sat down in front of their microphones to, as they put it, “get closer to the truth about health and healthcare.” The result is the Health & Veritas podcast, which posted its 200th episode last week.

A new report from researchers at the Yale School of Public Health warns that the U.S. government’s abrupt cancellation of funding for mRNA vaccine research could have devastating health and economic consequences for the nation.

Honored for her role in developing and evaluating the breakthrough HIV prevention drug lenacapavir, Dr. Moupali Das shared her journey into HIV research. ⬇️ https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/blazing-a-new-path-for-hiv-prevention-a-discussion-with-dr-moupali-das/

For the ones who whisper sweet nothings like “tidyverse,” “ggplot,” and “logistic regression.” Six weeks at Yale. Big data. Bigger impact. Applications for the Big Data Summer Immersion at Yale are open → BDSY.org All undergrads are eligible to apply. #DataScience #UndergraduateResearch

We placed a microphone at our winter celebration with a sign that said, “What brings you hope in public health?” Here’s what Yale School of Public Health students, faculty, staff, and community partners had to say. We wish you all a happy, healthy, and hopeful holiday season 💙

'Tis the season for all of the viruses. RSV and flu are showing substantial activity in much of the country, and COVID is starting to increase again after hitting a low this fall. Here's what you need to know about respiratory virus trends before holiday travel ⬇️ Check out PopHIVE.org for more.

"Hope and facts are difficult to provide in the face of a tragedy so recent and so close to home. But if I have learned anything from my work, it is that hope is created through small, persistent action." Dean @meganranney.bsky.social writes on grief and action in an Atlantic op-ed.

Sending love and support to our friends at Brown, in Australia, in Connecticut, and across the world who are grieving this week.

Dean @meganranney.bsky.social joined CNN the day after mass shootings at Brown University and Bondi Beach to discuss the long-term mental and physical health impact of these events. Dean Ranney is an emergency physician and firearm injury prevention researcher and spent 20 years at Brown.

We are having the wrong debate, says Zack Cooper of @yalesph.bsky.social We need to talk about not *just* subsidies, but more importantly WHY & HOW American healthcare is so expensive. And he has a list of things we could do today … Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/o...

Jessica Federer, MPH ’08, founded the Women’s Health Fund to spur investment in medical innovations that would improve women’s health. ⬇️ https://ysph.yale.edu/about-school-of-public-health/communications-public-relations/publications/public-health-magazine/article/investing-in-womens-health/

Learn about eight YSPH students who engaged in public health practice opportunities that linked science and society across the globe ⬇️ Read now at https://ysph.yale.edu/about-school-of-public-health/communications-public-relations/publications/public-health-magazine/article/globe-trotters/

Yale’s part-time Executive MPH is designed for working professionals, with live online courses in the evenings and three in-person trainings on Yale’s campus. Apply by January 15. Learn more at sph.yale.edu/emph

Learn about the “magic” behind YSPH’s social media success ⬇️ https://ysph.yale.edu/about-school-of-public-health/communications-public-relations/publications/public-health-magazine/article/5-tips-for-creating-social-media-magic/

Professors share how YSPH is leaning in to offer more opportunities for students to learn public health communications skills. ⬇️ https://ysph.yale.edu/about-school-of-public-health/communications-public-relations/publications/public-health-magazine/article/how-to-talk-about-public-health/

"Rising health care spending is killing the American dream." In a @nytimes.com opinion essay today, Prof. Zack Cooper argues that while extending Affordable Care Act subsidies will buy us time, doing so wouldn’t fix the underlying problem: surging health care spending.

In our latest edition of Science & Society Magazine, learn how YSPH is approaching the public health communications crisis, how the Executive MPH program is training mid-career students to be public health leaders, a scholar’s journey at Yale, and more. Read now at sph.yale.edu/dec2025magazine

An outstanding job here @yalesph.bsky.social with @jacobwswallace.bsky.social ! 🧪🩺🛟📈

We are happy to share that Yale will soon introduce a replacement loan option for student borrowers whose federal loan eligibility has been affected by recent changes. This new program will offer comparable, if not more competitive, loan terms compared to previous Grad PLUS loans. 1/2

“Teaching at Yale” was never really on my radar for the future — but wow, it has been super fun to work with the amazing teams @yalesph.bsky.social and prepare a class for the master’s students I’ll be teaching next semester on “What I Wish I Had Known"

✅ Reminder of why babies need the hepatitis B vaccine ⬇️ ✅ New JAMA Viewpoint on the risks of reversing the recommendation for universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth ➡️ jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

SNAP, best known for helping low-income Americans afford groceries, may also help protect against COVID-19 and other chronic illnesses, according to a new study. Read more: m.yale.edu/ddbs

"As a public health student... I’ve heard the same message in almost every class: progress isn’t real progress unless everyone moves forward. On World AIDS Day, I’m reminded of how far that ideal is from reality." - Nikki Tehrani, MPH '27, in a CT Mirror opinion piece