The University of Iowa College of Public Health

UI College of Public Health alumna Anne Abbott is leading the way in upstream prevention—working with communities to tackle teen mental health challenges before they become crises.

An assistant professor in the School of Public and Population Health at Boise State University, Anne's work shows the power of:
✅ Strong communication
✅ Evidence-based solutions
✅ Real-world collaboration

💡 Her message to students? Don’t just study public health—get involved and be part of the change.

🔗 Read the full Q&A with Anne at:
https://iprc.public-health.uiowa.edu/2026/05/29/preventing-harm-before-it-occurs-q-a-with-alumna-anne-abbott/



University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center

Caps off, hearts full 🎓💛

From proud walks across the stage to big hugs and bigger dreams—last night we celebrated the next generation of public health changemakers. Here’s to the late nights, loud cheers, and all the good you’re about to do in the world. Go Hawks! 🖤💛

New episode 🎙️

This week on Plugged In to Public Health, Lauren talks with Dr. Erin Wissler Gerdes about the hidden mental load of early parenthood—anxiety, burnout, loneliness, and “parental rage.”

A timely conversation on why supporting families takes more than individuals—it takes systems. 💙

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fQZAnai77E&list=PLAhFElfv5vByAtLsY_VOxfvSk3wflcAVB&index=2&t=2s

Parental Rage & Burnout: The Mental Health Reality of Early Parenthood This week on Plugged In to Public Health, Lauren sits down with Dr. Erin Wissler Gerdes, recent PhD graduate from the University of Iowa College of Public He...

📊🌽Meet Caroline Powell, a UI College of Public Health master’s student who followed her passion for public health from New York City to Iowa’s agricultural communities.

As cancer rates continue to rise in Iowa, Caroline’s research explores how agricultural communities perceive cancer risk and how those beliefs shape prevention behaviors. Her work highlights a simple but powerful truth: strong data matters but so does how people interpret it.

As she wraps up her time at Iowa and prepares for doctoral studies at VCU, Caroline’s research is helping pave the way for clearer, more community-centered cancer communication.

👉 Read her full story here:
https://grad.uiowa.edu/news/2026/04/cancer-rates-rise-powell-charts-what-it-means-us

Social media is a constant in teens’ lives—but its impact on mental health is more complicated than “too much screen time.”

In a new Q&A, Jonathan Platt from the University of Iowa College of Public Health walks us through what research actually shows: why social comparison and late‑night scrolling matter, how platform design and algorithms shape risk, and what families, schools, and policymakers can do to support healthier online experiences for young people.

It’s a clear, evidence‑based look at an issue many of us are thinking about.

Yes, we know….we’re sharing this on social media….about the dangers of social media. 🌀 But if you’re going to scroll, this is a pretty good place to pause and read. 😉

👉 Read the full Q&A:
https://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/news-items/what-the-research-tells-us-about-social-media-and-teen-mental-health-a-qa-with-jonathan-platt/