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Advancing Quality of Life Research

The UH Population Health initiative is engaged in a range of research studies that demonstrate its commitment to promoting health equity and improving quality of life for all. These funded studies include AIM-AHEAD, which focuses on increasing diversity in artificial intelligence (AI) research, Obesity Health Disparities (OHD) PRIDE, a national research training and mentoring program for early career investigators focused on obesity prevention and treatment, and "We've Got Next," an initiative aimed at educating young adults about COVID-19 prevention and the connection with cardiovascular health.
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    AIM-AHEAD

    The University of Houston is part of AIM-AHEAD, a $50 million NIH-funded national initiative led by the University of North Texas Health Science Center. The program aims to increase diversity among artificial intelligence researchers and ensure equitable access to the benefits of machine learning. Bettina Beech will lead the project at UH alongside other universities in the consortium. The program will bring together experts in community engagement, AI/ML, health equity research, data science training, and data infrastructure.

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    Obesity Health Disparities PRIDE

    Obesity Health Disparities PRIDE is a research training and mentoring program focused on obesity prevention and treatment, which includes outreach to early-career faculty or transitioning postdoctoral fellows who hold appointments at, or earned degrees from, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). OHD PRIDE is a partnership between the University of Houston, University of California, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Texas Southwestern.

  • UH at health fair

    We've Got Next

    UH Population Health has been awarded a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  through the Houston Health Department to launch “We’ve Got Next.” Targeted toward young adults 18 – 45 years of age, this initiative will help inform Houstonians on the importance of  COVID-19 preventive measures, such as vaccinations and home testing. Likewise, maintaining one’s cardiovascular health is a key message delivered through “We’ve Got Next.”
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Collaboratories

UH Population Health Collaboratories are synergistic, research-generating entities where participants work together and draw from knowledge (e.g., theories, concepts, data) and wisdom (learnings) from multiple sectors of society. The collaboratory space is designed for participants to actively learn from each other to and co-create sustainable solutions to persistent or “wicked” problems. Action research is utilized to eliminate health disparities and improve quality of life for all.

Currently, there are four collaboratories in UH Population Health: 

  • Faith, Justice, and Health Collaboratory
  • Men's Health Collaboratory
  • Research Training and Mentoring Collaboratory
  • Translational Collaboratory
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Outstanding Population Health Publication Award

Full-time tenure track and non-tenure track faculty at UH are eligible to apply for the Outstanding Population Health Publication Award. The purpose of this annual award from UH Population Health is to recognize the lead author of a peer reviewed journal article or peer-reviewed book chapter, judged as making a substantial contribution to the literature and/or practice of population health. 

Only publications in print the prior two years will be eligible for the upcoming award (for example, to be eligible for the 2023 award, article must have been published in 2021).

Learn more about the nomination process >

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Graduate Student Mini-Grants

The Population Health Graduate Student Mini-Grants Program provides support for student-led research, evaluation, and advocacy projects  (e.g., education campaign, community organizing, coalition building) relevant to population health in the greater Houston area. Population health refers to an interdisciplinary approach that utilizes nontraditional partnerships among different sectors of the community to achieve positive health outcomes and/or health equity.  Collaborative and cross-disciplinary projects among students and/or community organizations are encouraged.

Learn more about how to apply >