UConn Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy

08/04/2026

Can mushrooms help clean up industrial waste at brownfield sites? Mia Maltz, an InCHIP PI and assistant professor in UConn CAHNR, and Ph.D. student Paulette Goyes are studying whether this is a viable strategy to clean up contaminated soil in Connecticut.

In a previous study, Maltz and her collaborators found that mushrooms helped reduce levels of certain contaminants at a brownfield site in Southern California. Now they are applying that research to a site in Collinsville to see how Connecticut’s wetter, more humid environment impacts remediation.

A promising new mushroom-based strategy may help with remediation efforts in Connecticut communities

06/19/2026

Habit stacking can help people make small changes to build healthy habits that stick. In this CT Insider piece, Keith Bellizzi, an InCHIP PI and professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, says that incorporating a new behavior into an existing routine can serve as a cue to make the behavior easier to repeat consistently. Most behavior change fails because the new behavior is inconvenient or disconnected from existing routines.

How does habit-stacking, promoted by online influencers, help us achieve our health and longevity goals?

06/02/2026

When it comes to tanning among young people, there’s good news and bad news, says UConn CAHNR prof. and UConn Center for мHealth and Social Media director Sherry Pagoto. The good news is that only 3% of young adults are using tanning beds. The bad news is that they’re still very interested in getting tan, so they’re tanning outside.

“There’s this juxtaposition of really valuing skin care while also really valuing being tan. These two things cannot go together. But if you’re on social media, it looks like they can,” says Pagoto in this Allure piece.

A public health crisis is unfolding on the lawns and rooftops and quads of America: Gen Z is chasing the sun with the zeal of the Bain de Soleil era.

04/28/2026

In this Today Show article, C. Michael White, department head of pharmacy practice at the UConn School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and InCHIP affiliate, weighs in on whether “GLP-1 supplements” are comparable to prescription GLP-1 medications like Wegovy or Zepbound. These supplements are marketed as GLP-1 alternatives, claiming similar benefits without the side effects.

White and his students have been studying GLP-1 supplements and patches. He notes these products don’t contain the active ingredients found in FDA-approved GLP-1s. As a result, weight-loss results may fall short of expectations.

The popularity of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs has inspired a "GLP-1 supplement" boom. Here's how much weight loss you can expect and the precautions to keep in mind.

04/23/2026

“If there is one myth I wish society would retire, it’s the idea that resilience means ‘toughness’ or ‘bouncing back,’” writes Keith Bellizzi, professor in the UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (HDFS) and InCHIP PI, in this piece for The Conversation US on what it means to be resilient.

An insistence on grit and relentless optimism can backfire, making people feel inadequate when they feel pain

04/20/2026

KC Pharmaceuticals recently recalled more than 3.1 million bottles of lubricating eye drops due, in part, to issues with manufacturing and inspection processes.

In this piece for The Conversation US, C. Michael White, UConn School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences distinguished professor and InCHIP affiliate, explains the history of manufacturing and sterility issues contributing to the recall and outlines steps consumers can take to safeguard their health.

The FDA rarely inspected eye drop makers before 2023, when a nationwide outbreak of infection killed 4 and seriously harmed many others

04/17/2026

The UConn Collaboratory on School and Child Health celebrates 10 years

04/09/2026

Water can be disinfected by boiling it, filtering it, and exposing it to sunlight, but these methods require time and resources.

Eric Ryberg, an assistant professor of allied health sciences at UConn CAHNR and InCHIP PI, and his collaborators at Yale University have developed a scalable solar-powered system that can produce safe drinking water in under 60 minutes. You can learn more about this project at

Researchers from UConn and Yale have developed a new solar-powered water disinfection system that combines several existing methods

04/07/2026

“A center like this cannot just be exclusively focused on research. The research has to be used to inform policy and it has to reach and engage college students,” says Lisa Eaton, UConn HDFS professor, who will lead UConn’s new Center for Research on Sexual Violence and Empowerment.

The new center will be led by Lisa Eaton, professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences

03/27/2026

On Wednesday, Connecticut designated kratom a schedule 1 substance, and it will no longer be sold in stores across the state. C. Michael White, a professor in the UConn School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and InCHIP affiliate, has studied it since 2017. While the natural-leaf form of kratom can help opioid users by reducing cravings without producing unwanted side effects, the synthetic form seven-hydroxy (7-OH) is an addictive nightmare. https://magazine.uconn.edu/2026/02/10/c-michael-white-is-on-a-mission/,

Kratom, also known to some as “gas station heroin,” was named a Schedule 1 controlled substance on Wednesday, meaning gas stations, convenience stores, and smoke shops must pull it from their shelves immediately. The product, which has been widely available online and in stores for years, is an ...