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UH Population Health

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IAPHS Student Group at UH

Students are vital contributors to our initiatives, and UH Population Health provides several ways for students to engage across education, research and extracurricular service. 

IAPHS at UH Population Health

UH Population Health launched the nation’s first-ever undergraduate chapter of the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science. The purpose of IAPHS is to foster scientific innovation and discovery to improve the health of populations and reduce health disparities. The mission of IAPHS is to provide a forum that will connect population health scientists across disciplines and sectors, advance the development of population health science, and promote its application. IAPHS carries out its mission by pursuing three objectives:

  1. Advance population health science
  2. Improve population health by promoting the communication and application of science
  3. Support population health scientists in their careers

The IAPHS Student Chapter at UH shares this mission and as the first undergraduate IAPHS chapter in the nation works closely with UH Population Health faculty and staff to pursue these aims and raise awareness of Population Health at the University of Houston. Membership of the IAPHS Student Chapter is intentionally flexible as in order to best accommodate schedules and time demands. Regardless of commitment level in any given semester, the UH Chapter is a space and resource for professional development, networking, mentoring, research, and internship opportunities. Fees for student membership of the national organization are waived for UH Chapter members.

Contact IAPHS at UH for more information and to sign up for the bi-weekly Population Health Matters! email newsletter.

 

UH Population Health 2024 IAPHS Fellowship

Applications are closed 

The IAPHS is the premier professional organization of population health scientists in the US, attracting membership from across academia, industry, policy, and community spaces. In addition to innovative, cross-cutting research and public communication of population health science, IAPHS invests in educating and mentoring the next generation of researchers. As part of this commitment in 2021 the organization granted permission to the University of Houston to launch the first specifically undergraduate chapter of the IAPHS in the nation. To recognize and celebrate this important milestone, UH Population Health is pleased to offer the annual UH IAPHS fellowship to undergraduate students interested in research and careers in population health.

Each year the theme of the award and the IAPHS annual meeting (held each Fall) will be aligned. The topic this year is: Tackling declining life expectancy in the US: investigating social drivers and policy solutions.

U.S. life expectancy declined to 76.4 years in 2021, lower than it has been since 1996, and the largest decline in life expectancy since World War II. While life expectancy rebounded in other countries after the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it did not increase in the U.S. In fact, across the lifecourse, people in the U.S. die at younger ages than their counterparts in other high-income countries, a pattern which predates the pandemic era.

The $1000 Fellowship award will run through Spring and Fall semesters of 2024. UH Population Health IAPHS fellows are expected participate in 4-5hrs per week of project work, including regular meetings with the IAPHS student chapter faculty advisor, Dr. Quinn Valier hkvalier@uh.edu. Fellows may also be expected to participate in joint activities with other undergraduate students participating in sponsored projects with UH Population Health such as career mentoring and instruction in research methods.

The awardee will be expected to contribute to the submission of an abstract proposal for the 2024 IAPHS conference to be held in St. Louis, Missouri Sept 10-13. If the submission is accepted, we may ask that the awardee attend the conference as part of a team traveling from UH. Travel costs will be covered by UHPH as circumstances allow and in accordance with available funding.

Interested? Apply NOW via our online application form. Review of applications will begin Feb 9th and remain open until a candidate is selected. Please contact Dr. Valier at hkvalier@uh.edu with any questions.

Eligibility

Second semester freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors from any major who have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA are eligible to apply for the award. Awardees must enroll in and maintain a minimum of 12 hours for each regular semester (Spring and Fall) of the award and be (or become) a member of the IAPHS Student Chapter at UH.

Application

Students must complete the online application and provide:

  • a short statement of interest (max.300 words) about the proposed project which may include but is not limited to relevant prior academic and research experience; relevant life and community engagement; relevant prior knowledge or interest; and a rationale for the project as it affects your desire to participate in this type of research
  • the name of a member of staff or faculty member at UH willing to provide a recommendation and be contacted for a brief conversation/email exchange about your application (please note: formal letters of recommendation are NOT required)
  • an up-to-date resume or curriculum vitae  

Expectations/Workload

Awardees should expect to perform 4-5hrs of project related work each week (including background reading and meetings) for a total workload of 60 hrs per regular semester

Contact

Please contact Quinn Valier, PhD, Director of Student Engagement for UHPH (hkvalier@uh.edu) if you have any questions or require additional information.

 

Minor in Population Health

The Department of Sociology offers the Minor in Population Health starting in Fall 2023. The interdisciplinary Minor in Population Health provides students with a critical perspective needed to consider the full range of factors which impact the health and well-being of populations. This Minor is based on the premise that complex issues require an understanding of theories, concepts, and data from multiple disciplines to create, implement, evaluate, and sustain effective solutions.