A Message from the UH Chief Population Health Officer

Today marks the one-year anniversary of UH Population Health, and we're proud to celebrate it with the launch of a new University of Houston minor in population health degree program. Drawing from frameworks from multiple disciplines, our students and future leaders will learn how social, economic, access to care, behavioral and environmental factors influence the health of defined populations. The program, which will begin this fall, is in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences in the Department of Sociology. This program marks the beginning of more population health-related education programs at the University of Houston.

Diversifying Biomedical Research
This month we're also launching a Diversity Supplement Program to increase the number of investigators from underrepresented backgrounds who submit grant applications to the National Institutes of Health. Reports from leading scientific organizations indicate that diversity is an asset in the effort to improve the health of our nation. In collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine, our program will provide training for mentors and early career investigators to facilitate the development of research projects and experiences that launch and sustain research careers. NIH Diversity Supplements were pivotal to launching my career in research.

New Data Sources
We are now designated as a Vanguard Center for the Jackson Heart Study, the largest epidemiologic study of cardiovascular health among African Americans. Jackson Heart Study data and other publicly available and limited datasets will be housed in the new Population Health Data Repository. These data sets are available for research projects conducted by UH students and faculty, and requests for access can be emailed to Marino Bruce, Ph.D., director of the UH Population Health Collaboratories at mabruce@central.uh.edu.

Executive-in-Residence Program
On March 19-23, we will hold our inaugural Executive-in-Residence Program with Steven Woolf, M.D., the director emeritus and senior advisor for the Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health. A family physician and expert in population health, Dr. Woolf will conduct grand rounds with the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine and meet with select UH students, faculty and the UH Population Health team.  

What a difference a year makes. We're growing by leaps and bounds for the greater good of our students and communities, and I am honored and humbled to lead the charge. I thank my team for their commitment and the UH community, our advisors and partners for their continued support.

Wishing you good health,

Bettina M. Beech, Dr.P.H.
Chief Population Health Officer
University of Houston