Public health research

Research

Public Health program

College of Health

Engaged in groundbreaking research with local, national, and international impact, our public health faculty members are at the forefront of interdisciplinary research. Explore their ongoing projects and research opportunities through the links provided below to individual projects, programs and labs.

Research Projects, Programs and Labs

Image
ENLACE

ENLACE

The ENLACE program builds solidarity and amplifies youth voices, connecting Latinx and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth in fighting social isolation

Image
Prof. Molly Kile measuring arsenic levels in Bangladesh well

Environmental Exposure and Biomarker Lab

The Environmental Exposure and Biomarker Lab measures metal concentrations in environmental and biological samples in order to determine personal exposure to contaminants. We also examine molecular biomarkers that may be generated by exposure to environmental contaminants.

Image
Health and Healthcare Outcomes Research Program

Health and Healthcare Outcomes Research Program

The Health and Healthcare Outcomes Research Program carries out research related to evaluation and innovation in health care to improve health outcomes (i.e., access, quality of life, satisfaction, health related social needs, costs) for people with specific chronic conditions. Health policy implications of these outcomes are a key focus.

Image
Health Care Workforce Needs Assessment

Health Care Workforce Needs Assessment

The Health Care Workforce Needs Assessment provides insights into health care workforce needs in communities across Oregon as well as general guidance on how to expand and diversify the health care workforce to meet the needs of patients and communities throughout Oregon and eliminate health inequities.

Image
Methylmercury Lab

Methylmercury Lab

The Methylmercury Lab carries out research related to methylmercury cycling and exposure.

Image
 Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics Laboratory

Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics Laboratory

The Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics Laboratory uses a variety of bioinstrumentation to characterize work-related physical exposures and investigate their relationships with adverse health outcomes with an ultimate goal of promoting health and well-being at workplaces.

Image
Occupational Safety and Health Laboratory

Occupational Safety and Health Laboratory

The Occupational Safety and Health Laboratory uses a variety of tools and methods to investigate workplace hazards and environmental pollutants on safety and health outcomes in working populations and communities.

Image
Sexual and Reproductive Health Equity Consortium

Sexual and Reproductive Health Equity Consortium

The Sexual and Reproductive Health Equity Consortium generates, supports, and disseminates research that improves understanding of the diverse factors affecting sexual and reproductive health equity.

Image
Spatial Health Laboratory

Spatial Health Laboratory

The Spatial Health Laboratory carries out diverse research related to health and place.

Image
The State of Nursing Facilities in Oregon

The State of Nursing Facilities in Oregon

The State of Nursing Facilities in Oregon produces an annual report that informs stakeholders, the Legislature, and the public about skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in Oregon.

Image
Transforming Academia for Equity

Transforming Academia for Equity

The Transforming Academia for Equity redresses the historical and present-day impacts of colonialism, racism, and other forms of oppression that permeate our society.

Image
Thriving After Cancer Team

Thriving After Cancer Team

The Thriving After Cancer Team aims to fill the gap in supportive care for young cancer survivors, couples struggling with reproductive and sexual health concerns, and LGBTQ+ survivors and their partners/support networks.

Image
Uplift Lab

Uplift: A Research and Reproductive Equity Laboratory

The Uplift Lab explores the ways community-led research, population data science, and ethnography can combine to imagine and implement more equitable reproductive futures.

Recent publications

(This is not an exhaustive list. We are still rebuilding our database of faculty publications. Visit individual faculty profiles for more extensive lists of their publications.)

2025

Peterson, C., Li, T., Norcross, M.  (2025)  Return on investment of anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention programs in the United States  Journal of Athletic Training  
Oje, O., Amram, O., Hystad, P., Gebremedhin, A.H., Monsivais, P.  (2025)  Use of individual Google Location History data to identify consumer encounters with food outlets  International Journal of Health Geographics  24(1)
Kim, H., Jiang, Y., Duberstein, P.R., Tang, F., Luth, E.A.  (2025)  Trust in Physicians and End-of-Life Discussions and Preferences for Place of Care Among US Chinese Older Adults  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society  
Ioannou, G.N., Berry, K., Rajeevan, N., Li, Y., Yan, L., Huang, Y., Lin, H., Bui, D.P., Hynes, D.M., Rowneki, M., Bohnert, A.S., Boyko, E.J., Iwashyna, T.J., Maciejewski, M.L., Smith, V.A., Berkowitz, T.S., O’Hare, A., Viglianti, E.M., Aslan, M., Bajema, K.L.  (2025)  Effectiveness of the 2023-to-2024 XBB.1.5 COVID-19 Vaccines Over Long-Term Follow-up : A Target Trial Emulation  Annals of Internal Medicine  
Kumbeni, M.T., Luck, J., Harvey, S.M.  (2025)  Knowledge of Ghana’s liberal abortion law and use of modern contraceptives among women of reproductive age  Reproductive Health  22(15)
Turner, R.T., Philbrick, K.A., Wong, C.P., Fichter, A.R., Branscum, A.J., Iwaniec, U.T.  (2025)  Leptin potentiates bone loss at skeletal sites distant from focal inflammation in female ob/ob mice  Journal of Endocrinology  
Bajema, K.L., Yan, L., Li, Y., Argraves, S., Rajeevan, N., Fox, A., Vergun, R., Berry, K., Bui, D.P., Huang, Y., Lin, H., Hynes, D.M., Lucero-Obusan, C., Schirmer, P.L., Cunningham, F., Huang, G.D., Aslan, M., Ioannou, G.N.  (2025)  Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine effectiveness among US veterans, September, 2023 to March, 2024: a target trial emulation study  The Lancet Infectious Diseases  
Sorensen, J.A., Jenkins, P., Gertz, K., Roome, A., Weil, R., Graham, J., Quinn, B., Kincl, L., Dzugan, J., McCue-Weil, L.  (2025)  Adding Insult to Injury: The Impact of Musculoskeletal Pain on Fishermen’s Sleep Patterns  Journal of Agromedicine  
Hystad, P., Hill, E.L., Larkin, A., Schrank, D., Harleman, M., Volkin, E.T., Campbell, E.J., Molitor, J., Harris, L., Ritz, B.R., Willis, M.D.  (2025)  Changes in traffic-related air pollution exposures and associations with adverse birth outcomes over 20 years in Texas  International Journal of Epidemiology  54(1)
Gurinovich, A., Song, Z., Bae, H., Leshchyk, A., Li, M., Lords, H.J., Andersen, S.L., Nygaard, M., Christensen, K., Daw, E.W., Arbeev, K.G., Brent, M.R., Perls, T.T., Sebastiani, P.  (2025)  SNP rs6543176 is associated with extreme human longevity but increased risk for cancer  GeroScience