Research Signature Areas
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
We believe that health is a human right, essential to the ability of individuals to function and flourish in society.
Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, mental health, and substance use disorders are leading causes of death and disability in the United States.
As populations age, acute and chronic diseases create social, medical, and economic burdens.
In addition, racial and ethnic minoritized groups are at disproportionate risk of experiencing negative health outcomes from preventable and treatable conditions.
College of Health faculty expertise contributes to all three levels of disease prevention.
Many focus on primary prevention to avoid the occurrence of disease or injury.
Faculty address the impact of social and economic determinants of health (e.g., work-family policies, health care reforms, behavioral and mental health services, school physical education policies) and promote healthy and safe behaviors (e.g., nutritious eating, physical activity, cancer screenings, smoking and substance use cessation, vaccine uptake).
Others focus on secondary and tertiary prevention to reduce the progression and effects of disease and injury and to manage health problems and injuries (e.g., osteoporosis, fall prevention, cognitive decline and dementia, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes).
Faculty are uniquely positioned to integrate environmental and biological information with social, policy, and behavioral data to promote health, prevent disease, and improve quality of life and life expectancy.
News and stories
Recent health promotion and disease prevention news and stories.
The study is the largest of its kind in the U.S. — and the world — to look at how air pollution may be connected to breast cancer. Using data from five large research studies, the team found that certain pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, were linked to a small increase in breast cancer overall.
The College of Health at Oregon State University is accelerating research innovation with a strategic focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, AI applications, and translating discoveries into real-world health solutions that benefit communities most in need.
$3.8M NIH study uses AI monitors to map pollen and mold exposure, helping predict COPD flare-ups and improve care for millions living with lung disease.
The study of 1,500+ adults ages 30-70 found that those in the upper 25% of social media usage frequency were more than twice as likely to experience loneliness.
Their participation highlights the College of Health’s national leadership in research translation and its ongoing commitment to improving health outcomes for children and families. The ASPIRE Center exemplifies how collaborative, cross-disciplinary research can generate innovative, evidence-based solutions to protect children and promote healthy families and communities.
The Gather, Preserve, Store, Share program brings culturally responsive food preservation education to Native communities across Oregon, combining traditional methods like sun drying with modern safety practices.
Recent publications
Recent health promotion and disease prevention publications
(This is not an exhaustive list. Visit individual faculty profiles for more extensive lists of their publications.)
2025
Projects, programs and laboratories
Health promotion and disease prevention projects, programs and laboratories.
(This is not an exhaustive list. Contact individual faculty for more information of their current and past research.)
Research groupFamily Policy Group
The Family Policy Group is a network of faculty and students who seek to advance the study of family policy at Oregon State University.
Website: Family Policy Group
Research laboratoryFamily, Work, & Well-Being Lab
Family and work are significant influences in our lives.
The Family, Work, & Well-Being Research Laboratory studies diverse family, work, and work-family integration experiences to improve the health and well-being of people and their families.
We envision a world where everyone, regardless of race, gender, age, sexuality, or zip code, can thrive both while with their families and while working.
Director: Kelly Chandler, PhD
Website: Family, Work, & Well-Being Lab
Research projectFollow-up colonoscopy among federally qualified health center patients: assessing organizational characteristics and policies of gastroenterology practices
Using analysis with configurational comparative methods, we will assess the relationships between gastroenterology practice structures and processes (individually or in combination) to identify core organizational components associated with successful and timely completion of follow-up colonoscopies.
Co-PI: Cynthia M. Mojica, PhD
Co-PI: Gloria Coronado, PhD (Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research)
Research laboratoryFORCE Laboratory
The FORCE Laboratory provides cutting-edge research and intervention strategies for injuries, "especially knees, ankles and hips,“ creating a perfect match with Central Oregon's population of elite and recreational athletes. We seek to optimize musculoskeletal function and performance, prevent injury, and promote general well-being through the study of human movement.
Co-director: JJ Hannigan, PhD, ATC, CSCS
Co-director: David Phillips, PhD, CSCSWebsite: FORCE Lab
Research programFrom Coast to Forest: Building on Community Strengths to Promote Mental Health and Reduce Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Oregon
The Coast to Forest project engages communities in solution-building for educational, preventive and systems-level approaches to the opioid and mental health crisis. Funding for these state and level initiatives is provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
PI: Allison Myers, PhD, MPH
Co-PI: Marion Ceraso, MHS, MA
Co-PI: Sandi Cleveland Phibbs, PhD, MPHWebsite: Coast to Forest: Mental Health Promotion in Rural Oregon
Research programGo Baby Go Oregon
Go Baby Go is a national, community-based research, design and outreach program that provides modified ride-on cars to children birth to age 3 who experience limited mobility.
OSU Co-Director: Sam Logan, PhD
OHSU Co-Director: Bethany Sloane, DPT
Website: Go Baby Go Oregon