UC Berkeley School of Public Health
@publichealth.berkeley.edu
Action Alert: Future #PublicHealth leaders are being priced out. New federal rules could cap #StudentLoans for MPH & DrPH students, putting degrees at schools like UC Berkeley out of reach. We can’t afford fewer public health experts. Tell Congress to fix this—pass #HR6718! 🏛️🩺 https://bit.ly/4btgtZ0
Help us protect loan access for graduate and professional students
Recent changes to federal student aid may limit loan access for many graduate and professional students
bit.ly
February 7, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Action Alert: Future #PublicHealth leaders are being priced out. New federal rules could cap #StudentLoans for MPH & DrPH students, putting degrees at schools like UC Berkeley out of reach. We can’t afford fewer public health experts. Tell Congress to fix this—pass #HR6718! 🏛️🩺 https://bit.ly/4btgtZ0
Supported by a generous gift from Kathy Chiao and Ken Hao, UC Berkeley Public Health has awarded $100k to ten student teams via the Impact Innovators program. The teams will work with community partners to solve pressing #PublicHealth challenges.
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Ten teams of student innovators awarded impact funding
The program provides an opportunity for students to advance community health while building skills in social entrepreneurship and community partnership.
ow.ly
February 6, 2026 at 12:49 AM
Supported by a generous gift from Kathy Chiao and Ken Hao, UC Berkeley Public Health has awarded $100k to ten student teams via the Impact Innovators program. The teams will work with community partners to solve pressing #PublicHealth challenges.
ow.ly/eKgv50Y8XaS
ow.ly/eKgv50Y8XaS
As #UCBerkeley Public Health assistant professor of emerging #zoonoses and chief scientist for Gorilla Doctors, Tierra Smiley Evans works in remote forests to study and prevent #zoonoticdiseases, protecting mountain gorillas and bolstering pandemic prevention. bit.ly/4kgHgKf #PublicHealth
A gorilla doctor working to prevent the next pandemic
Tierra Smiley Evans travels to some of the world’s most remote forests to protect its largest inhabitants from microscopic threats.
bit.ly
February 3, 2026 at 8:08 PM
As #UCBerkeley Public Health assistant professor of emerging #zoonoses and chief scientist for Gorilla Doctors, Tierra Smiley Evans works in remote forests to study and prevent #zoonoticdiseases, protecting mountain gorillas and bolstering pandemic prevention. bit.ly/4kgHgKf #PublicHealth
When gun use is restricted, will people find another way to commit #suicide? New research led by health policy expert Timothy Brown found that Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws significantly reduce firearm suicides—without increasing other methods. #GunControl https://ow.ly/kYym50Y6CsY
Extreme risk protection order laws reduce firearm suicides
A new analysis shows that the passage of Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) laws does reduce suicides by gun.
ow.ly
January 31, 2026 at 6:35 PM
When gun use is restricted, will people find another way to commit #suicide? New research led by health policy expert Timothy Brown found that Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws significantly reduce firearm suicides—without increasing other methods. #GunControl https://ow.ly/kYym50Y6CsY
Could the new US #DietaryGuidelines do more harm than good? UC Berkeley public health #nutrition expert Barbara Laraia warns that emphasizing higher protein, meat, and full-fat dairy—while easing limits on alcohol and sugar—could confuse consumers. ow.ly/kMT950Y0XHV #PublicHealth #UCBerkeley
How the nation’s new dietary guidelines might backfire
When the federal government issued its recommendations for a healthy diet last week, many nutritionists and health care providers were appalled.
ow.ly
January 30, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Could the new US #DietaryGuidelines do more harm than good? UC Berkeley public health #nutrition expert Barbara Laraia warns that emphasizing higher protein, meat, and full-fat dairy—while easing limits on alcohol and sugar—could confuse consumers. ow.ly/kMT950Y0XHV #PublicHealth #UCBerkeley
UC Berkeley experts outline key #AI issues to watch in 2026. At UC Berkeley School of Public Health, bioethicist Jodi Halpern warns that AI companions risk eroding empathy, #MentalHealth, and civic engagement—underscoring the need for guardrails. #Bioethics #PublicHealth
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11 things UC Berkeley AI experts are watching for in 2026
How will AI disrupt the labor market? What will deepfake videos mean for our understanding of truth? Are we in a bubble, and if so, will it burst?
ow.ly
January 29, 2026 at 7:28 PM
UC Berkeley experts outline key #AI issues to watch in 2026. At UC Berkeley School of Public Health, bioethicist Jodi Halpern warns that AI companions risk eroding empathy, #MentalHealth, and civic engagement—underscoring the need for guardrails. #Bioethics #PublicHealth
ow.ly/lkLx50Y0OJR
ow.ly/lkLx50Y0OJR
On January 13, 20+ #UCBerkeley #PublicHealth students headed to Sacramento to discuss #RuralHealth policy. 🌲🏛️ Grateful for the insights from @dhcs.bsky.social, @capublichealth.bsky.social, @cpcainsights.bsky.social, & others on strengthening the safety net for rural Californians.
#HealthPolicy
#HealthPolicy
January 21, 2026 at 6:34 PM
On January 13, 20+ #UCBerkeley #PublicHealth students headed to Sacramento to discuss #RuralHealth policy. 🌲🏛️ Grateful for the insights from @dhcs.bsky.social, @capublichealth.bsky.social, @cpcainsights.bsky.social, & others on strengthening the safety net for rural Californians.
#HealthPolicy
#HealthPolicy
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! ✊🏿 ✊🏾✊🏽 Today we share a view of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom held in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963, with a quote from Dr. King, more relevant now than ever.
“Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.”
“Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.”
January 19, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! ✊🏿 ✊🏾✊🏽 Today we share a view of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom held in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963, with a quote from Dr. King, more relevant now than ever.
“Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.”
“Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.”
⭐ Meet the 2025 UC Berkeley Public Health Social Impact Innovation Program cohort, where students are transforming public health challenges into people-centered, equity-driven solutions. youtube.com/shorts/hxfzR... #SocialIimpact #UCBerkeley #PublicHealth #HealthEquity
Meet the 2025 SIIP Cohort: Turning Public Health Ideas Into Impact
YouTube video by UC Berkeley School of Public Health
youtube.com
January 14, 2026 at 12:03 AM
⭐ Meet the 2025 UC Berkeley Public Health Social Impact Innovation Program cohort, where students are transforming public health challenges into people-centered, equity-driven solutions. youtube.com/shorts/hxfzR... #SocialIimpact #UCBerkeley #PublicHealth #HealthEquity
#HepC is easily curable — so why is it still being ignored in many jails? A new #UCBerkeley #PublicHealth study shows that despite high rates of #hepatitis C among people in county jails, testing and treatment are rare — even though many stays are long enough to complete a cure. bit.ly/3LK6C6x
Hepatitis C, though easily treated, is ignored in many jails
Estimates of hepatitis C antibodies among people incarcerated in county jails range between 12% and 35% in the United States.
publichealth.berkeley.edu
January 12, 2026 at 8:08 PM
#HepC is easily curable — so why is it still being ignored in many jails? A new #UCBerkeley #PublicHealth study shows that despite high rates of #hepatitis C among people in county jails, testing and treatment are rare — even though many stays are long enough to complete a cure. bit.ly/3LK6C6x
What do the new #CDC childhood #vaccine recommendations mean for families? UC Berkeley #InfectiousDisease expert Charlie Whittaker says the bigger concern isn’t safety—but a lack of transparency. Decisions made “in the dark,” he warns, risk undermining trust and scientific rigor.
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What do the new U.S. vaccine recommendations mean for parents and children?
Infectious disease expert Dr. Charles Whittaker on why accountability matters in public health.
ow.ly
January 9, 2026 at 5:54 PM
What do the new #CDC childhood #vaccine recommendations mean for families? UC Berkeley #InfectiousDisease expert Charlie Whittaker says the bigger concern isn’t safety—but a lack of transparency. Decisions made “in the dark,” he warns, risk undermining trust and scientific rigor.
ow.ly/LqVy50XU85a
ow.ly/LqVy50XU85a
An East Bay program is reshaping prenatal care. BelovedBIRTH Black Centering, operated by Alameda Health System and community partners with research support from @thewallacecenter.bsky.social, is improving #BlackBirth outcomes through culturally centered, community-based care. ow.ly/wL5N50XSFwp
East Bay program centers Black pregnancy
UC Berkeley’s Wallace Center offers research and evaluation support.
ow.ly
January 8, 2026 at 11:26 PM
An East Bay program is reshaping prenatal care. BelovedBIRTH Black Centering, operated by Alameda Health System and community partners with research support from @thewallacecenter.bsky.social, is improving #BlackBirth outcomes through culturally centered, community-based care. ow.ly/wL5N50XSFwp
UC Berkeley Public Health Impact Fellow Thomas Goetz has launched his new podcast Drug Story. The debut episode looks at the EpiPen and food allergies. From Zoloft to Xanax, each episode unpacks familiar #PrescriptionDrugs & conditions they treat. ow.ly/msai50XTcay
Drug Story | Thomas Goetz | Substack
A podcast about the disease business, one drug at a time. Click to read Drug Story, by Thomas Goetz, a Substack publication.
ow.ly
January 8, 2026 at 12:00 AM
UC Berkeley Public Health Impact Fellow Thomas Goetz has launched his new podcast Drug Story. The debut episode looks at the EpiPen and food allergies. From Zoloft to Xanax, each episode unpacks familiar #PrescriptionDrugs & conditions they treat. ow.ly/msai50XTcay
In 2025, we published 100+articles on our website! From #Medicaid cuts and WHO withdrawal to #BirdFlu, #COVIDvaccines, #PFAS -linked childhood #leukemia and tributes to #PublicHealth giants—these were UC Berkeley Public Health’s most-read stories of the year.
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The most popular public health stories of the year
The top stories show that readers are worried about the current state of public health and grateful for the impact that our faculty have had.
ow.ly
December 23, 2025 at 12:36 AM
In 2025, we published 100+articles on our website! From #Medicaid cuts and WHO withdrawal to #BirdFlu, #COVIDvaccines, #PFAS -linked childhood #leukemia and tributes to #PublicHealth giants—these were UC Berkeley Public Health’s most-read stories of the year.
ow.ly/hRVU50XLGVo
ow.ly/hRVU50XLGVo
New research co-authored by epidemiology postdoc Helen Pitchik & Professor Lia Fernald found that a follow-up of a 2012 Bangladesh #sanitation & #nutrition intervention trial showed lasting gains in children’s cognitive and social-emotional development.
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New research shows early childhood interventions have lasting positive effects
Researchers found that water, handwashing, sanitation, and nutrition interventions improved developmental outcomes at one and two years of age.
ow.ly
December 17, 2025 at 10:12 PM
New research co-authored by epidemiology postdoc Helen Pitchik & Professor Lia Fernald found that a follow-up of a 2012 Bangladesh #sanitation & #nutrition intervention trial showed lasting gains in children’s cognitive and social-emotional development.
ow.ly/eNXr50XL3Xr
ow.ly/eNXr50XL3Xr
Begun at the height of COVID, the #UCBerkeley #PublicHealth food pantry & emergency fund support students with fresh food and essentials. With rising #FoodInsecurity, the program ensures students can focus on learning, while building a stronger, more inclusive community. bit.ly/4jirHBD
There’s no room for hunger at UC Berkeley School of Public Health
In 2021 UCBPH launched a food pantry run by the Dream office, which quickly grew to encompass direct stipends, and personal and home care products.
publichealth.berkeley.edu
December 15, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Begun at the height of COVID, the #UCBerkeley #PublicHealth food pantry & emergency fund support students with fresh food and essentials. With rising #FoodInsecurity, the program ensures students can focus on learning, while building a stronger, more inclusive community. bit.ly/4jirHBD
Research in Filipa Rijo-Ferrera’s lab at #UCBerkeley shows both #parasites and their #mosquito hosts share #circadian rhythms that time biting and transmissibility. Targeting these internal clocks may offer a new path to reducing #malaria and other mosquito-borne illnesses.
bit.ly/4q3El9s
bit.ly/4q3El9s
Research on the circadian rhythm of mosquitos seeks new ways to fight parasitic diseases
Researchers are uncovering new ways to understand how malaria parasites and their mosquito carriers keep track of time.
publichealth.berkeley.edu
December 11, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Research in Filipa Rijo-Ferrera’s lab at #UCBerkeley shows both #parasites and their #mosquito hosts share #circadian rhythms that time biting and transmissibility. Targeting these internal clocks may offer a new path to reducing #malaria and other mosquito-borne illnesses.
bit.ly/4q3El9s
bit.ly/4q3El9s
Urgent: The Dept. of Ed’s new #ProfessionalDegree definition under OBBBA leaves out #MPH, #DrPH, and other key #PublicHealth degrees—threatening access to vital federal loans and the public health workforce. Learn how to take action: TIPH.co/talkingpoints
December 4, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Urgent: The Dept. of Ed’s new #ProfessionalDegree definition under OBBBA leaves out #MPH, #DrPH, and other key #PublicHealth degrees—threatening access to vital federal loans and the public health workforce. Learn how to take action: TIPH.co/talkingpoints
#AI companion #chatbots pose increasing #MentalHealth risks for teens. On KQED, #UCBerkeley bioethicist Jodi Halpern urges parents to stay vigilant as #Character.AI blocks users under 18 — some teens may feel “their best friend just died.” bit.ly/48pY9Na #ChatbotBan #AdolescentHealth #TeenHealth
AI Safety Expert Warns Parents to Watch Kids in Wake of Chatbot Ban | KQED
A UC Berkeley bioethics professor warns that kids may be susceptible to self-harm or suicide when Character.AI bans youth under 18 from using its chatbots this month.
bit.ly
December 2, 2025 at 6:02 PM
#AI companion #chatbots pose increasing #MentalHealth risks for teens. On KQED, #UCBerkeley bioethicist Jodi Halpern urges parents to stay vigilant as #Character.AI blocks users under 18 — some teens may feel “their best friend just died.” bit.ly/48pY9Na #ChatbotBan #AdolescentHealth #TeenHealth
A new study found that unlocked #naloxone boxes in Michigan distributed 24k+ doses in one year. Led by UC Berkeley’s Shelley Facente & Harm Reduction Michigan, the study underscores the need for low-barrier access as #fentanyl #overdose remains a leading cause of death in the U.S.
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Innovative naloxone distribution program shows promise to prevent opioid overdoses
A new UC Berkeley / HRMI study evaluated a novel method of making naloxone more accessible to people who need it throughout the state of Michigan.
ow.ly
November 24, 2025 at 9:24 PM
A new study found that unlocked #naloxone boxes in Michigan distributed 24k+ doses in one year. Led by UC Berkeley’s Shelley Facente & Harm Reduction Michigan, the study underscores the need for low-barrier access as #fentanyl #overdose remains a leading cause of death in the U.S.
ow.ly/MG9s50Xx9NX
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As public health legend Dr. Art Reingold steps back after 40 years of teaching and mentorship, #UCBerkeley Public Health launches the Reingold Institute for #GlobalHealth to advance his legacy in #InfectiousDisease and train future #PublicHealth leaders.🎉
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Introducing the campaign for the Reingold Institute for Global Health
The vision for the institute is to translate interdisciplinary research into policy, practice, and impact, along with advancing Berkeley’s educational mission.
ow.ly
November 18, 2025 at 9:05 PM
As public health legend Dr. Art Reingold steps back after 40 years of teaching and mentorship, #UCBerkeley Public Health launches the Reingold Institute for #GlobalHealth to advance his legacy in #InfectiousDisease and train future #PublicHealth leaders.🎉
ow.ly/4JqI50Xt7GE
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Reposted by UC Berkeley School of Public Health
Dec. 10, 1-2 PM PT. CPH and @publichealth.berkeley.edu Prof. Charlie Whittaker gives the CPH seminar on "Quantifying the impact of a sarbecovirus vaccine in a future SARS-X pandemic." Via Zoom. Register here:
CPH Seminar Charles Whittaker, PhD Quantifying the impact of a sarbecovirus vaccine in a future SARS-X pandemic : December 10, 1-2 pm PST via Zoom
Please register by 10:00 AM ON DATE OF SEMINAR to receive link. Join us for the CPH December Seminar on December 10, 2025, 1-2 PM PST, via Zoom. Charles Whittaker, PhD, will speak on "Quantifying…
forms.gle
November 17, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Dec. 10, 1-2 PM PT. CPH and @publichealth.berkeley.edu Prof. Charlie Whittaker gives the CPH seminar on "Quantifying the impact of a sarbecovirus vaccine in a future SARS-X pandemic." Via Zoom. Register here:
Dr. Eva Harris (#UCBerkeley), Dr. Nuno Faria (Imperial College London), and their team have launched the DeZi Network to study how #Dengue and #Zika spread and evolve across 15+ countries, strengthening global surveillance and epidemic preparedness.
https://ow.ly/YnNc50XoMOI
https://ow.ly/YnNc50XoMOI
Dr. Eva Harris joins International collaborative effort to combat dengue and Zika worldwide
The new DeZi program integrates genomics, serology, and modelling to reveal the burden, transmission, and evolution of dengue and Zika viruses.
ow.ly
November 10, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Dr. Eva Harris (#UCBerkeley), Dr. Nuno Faria (Imperial College London), and their team have launched the DeZi Network to study how #Dengue and #Zika spread and evolve across 15+ countries, strengthening global surveillance and epidemic preparedness.
https://ow.ly/YnNc50XoMOI
https://ow.ly/YnNc50XoMOI
Community-based research at #UCBerkeleyPublicHealth brings #UCBerkeley scholars and residents together to tackle California's #publichealth challenges like strengthening #tribal food, energy, and water systems, and supporting #farmworkers and #unhoused students.
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ow.ly/vVwi50XiI3N
Research with Communities - University of California, Berkeley
ow.ly
October 28, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Community-based research at #UCBerkeleyPublicHealth brings #UCBerkeley scholars and residents together to tackle California's #publichealth challenges like strengthening #tribal food, energy, and water systems, and supporting #farmworkers and #unhoused students.
ow.ly/vVwi50XiI3N
ow.ly/vVwi50XiI3N
Welcome 🎉 to Dr. Brian TaeHyuk Keum, new faculty member in Community Health Sciences and part of the #UCBerkeley #AsianAmerican and #PacificIslander Transpacific Futures Cluster. He researches online oppression, #MentalHealth disparities, and #AAPI communities’ experiences. bit.ly/47Am4cy
Meet our new faculty: Brian TaeHyuk Keum
Acting associate professor Brian Keum, PhD, MA discusses past work, current research, and their future at UC Berkeley Public Health.
publichealth.berkeley.edu
October 27, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Welcome 🎉 to Dr. Brian TaeHyuk Keum, new faculty member in Community Health Sciences and part of the #UCBerkeley #AsianAmerican and #PacificIslander Transpacific Futures Cluster. He researches online oppression, #MentalHealth disparities, and #AAPI communities’ experiences. bit.ly/47Am4cy