01/28/2025
The Public Health Student Association and the Maternal and Child Health Network are partnering to raise money for Aaliyah in Action, a DC nonprofit that provides care kits to parents experiencing perinatal or infant loss. To encourage donations, we will be hosting a competition to see which department can raise the most funds. Till February 3, community members will be able to contribute to the fundraiser and have it counted toward their department's progress. You are also welcome to donate without participating in the competition. Details will be available via Instagram ( and ) and newsletters.
01/28/2025
These are not weight loss drugs anymore. These are medications that are designed for the treatment of obesity as a disease.”
Christine Gallagher, the associate director for research and policy for the STOP Obesity Alliance qtd. in The Hill article “RFK Jr. vs. Oz sets up clash on weight loss drug coverage.”
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5055607-rfk-jr-vs-oz-sets-up-clash-on-weight-loss-drug-coverage/
01/23/2025
Interested in volunteering at The Store this semester?
Join us for a training session where we will review our policies and procedures. Volunteers will help with organizing, packaging Panera Bread, checking in shoppers, and restocking. Once you attend, you will be able to register for volunteer shifts! This training session will take place at the USC Amphitheater on the 3rd floor.
They will be held on Saturday January 25th from 1-2 PM and 2:30-3:30 PM, and Thursday January 30th 7-8 PM. You only need to attend one training session to volunteer!
Register Today! ➡ https://gwserves.givepulse.com/group/events/215843
01/22/2025
The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health community mourns the passing of Professor Emerita Dr. Susan F. Wood, who passed on January 17, 2025.
Susan F. Wood was Professor Emerita of Health Policy and Management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, and was Director of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health from 2008 to 2022, where her research and public policy advocacy focused on women’s health and the use of scientific knowledge in public policy.
She was formerly Assistant Commissioner for Women’s Health at the FDA, and directed the FDA Office of Women’s Health from 2000-2005 when she resigned on principle over continued delay of approval of emergency contraception over-the-counter. Prior to her time at FDA, Dr. Wood was Director of Policy and Program Development at the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health.
Through her scholarship, her teaching and her public advocacy, Susan had a tremendous influence on the science and policy underlying women's health, especially the accessibility of appropriate drugs and devices. Her work lives on through legislation, regulations, publications and the influence she had on the careers of hundreds of Milken Institute School of Public Health alumni.
01/20/2025
Honoring the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther Kind Jr.
"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in."
Martin Luther King Jr. April 18, 1959
01/16/2025
Will Trumps second term bring a ban on birth control?
“‘There is definitely a chance [of a birth control ban]. We’re already seeing state-level efforts to restrict access to contraception, specifically IUDs and emergency contraception.’
Ultimately, Strasser says it’s important to do what you can to make reproductive health choices that feel right for you. ‘Birth control is an incredibly personal decision that nobody should be forced into making because they’re afraid of what services they will have access to’”
Julia Strasser, DrPH, MPH, the director of Jacobs Institute and an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at George Washington University spoke with Womens Health
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a62842648/is-birth-control-going-to-be-banned/
01/14/2025
Toxic chemicals in drinking water after a fire pose risks ranging from temporary nausea to cancer, experts say. “In Paradise (California), there were benzene levels high enough to acutely give a child a blood disorder”
-Dean Lynn R. Goldman in the Associated Press article "Contaminated drinking water is a growing concern for cities facing wildfires"
01/14/2025
🎉New year, 🗓️fresh start, 💙same amazing community! We're so excited to see you all back on campus. Let’s take bold strides toward healthier communities this semester.
Welcome back, we missed you!
01/09/2025
Global freshwater biodiversity is under threat. "Crabs, crayfishes, and shrimps are at the highest risk of extinction of the groups studied, with 30% threatened," according to an analysis published in Nature today.
These freshwater landscapes impact "billions of people’s safe drinking water, livelihoods, flood control, and climate change mitigation, and must be protected for nature and people alike."
GW Milken Institutes's Keith A. Crandall, co-author and co-chair of the IUCN (iucnred_list) Freshwater Crustacean Specialist Group, contributed key data on global crayfish species for this critical study. 🦞🔍
Read more about the iucnred_list-coauthored study and its calls for governments and industry to use this data in water management and policy measures in "One quarter of freshwater animals at risk of extinction - IUCN Red List."
*Photo: Keith A. Crandall and C. Riley Nelson
Endangered Woodville Karst cave crayfish (Procambarus orcinus)
01/08/2025
Check this out! Professor Keith A. Crandall co-authored article in Nature on the current state of freshwater ecosystems 🌿 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08375-z
BREAKING NEWS: One quarter of freshwater animals at risk of extinction - IUCN Red List
The largest global assessment of freshwater animals on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ to date has revealed that 24% of the world’s freshwater fish, dragonfly, damselfly, crab, crayfish and shrimp species are at high risk of extinction, according to an analysis published in Nature today.
The IUCN co-authored study recommends targeted action to prevent further extinctions and calls for governments and industry to use this data in water management and policy measures.
➡️ https://bit.ly/4adwI9N
01/03/2025
Check out where your favorite chain stacks up in Fact's ➡️ Serving Up Superbugs Report.
Remember this when grabbing your next quick snack 🍟🥙🌯
https://www.foodanimalconcernstrust.org/antibiotics-reports
01/01/2025
Happy New Year!
From all of us at GW Milken Institute School of Public Health 💙
12/31/2024
2024 GW Research Excellence and Impact!
What a great look back at a year of IMAPCTFUL research! The Milken Institute School of Public Health is excited to share research year in review, highlighting just some of the work from our community. Some highlights ⬇️
💊The Antibiotics Resistance Action Center's research sparks policy change!
🗺️ Founding of the REACH Center! Multi-Institutional Climate and Health Center
Check out more of the great work!
🔗
GW Research Year In Review | The George Washington University
In 2024, the GW community reached new heights of research excellence and impact. Here we celebrate a year marked by prolific scholarship, influential partnerships and a dedication to translating knowledge into action.
12/27/2024
EOH Professor Xindi (Cindy) Hu spoke with Yahoo News for a story on the healthiest water to drink.
& answers the question, Is drinking water less safe than it used to be? ⬇️
Not necessarily. “Advances in analytical chemistry have made it possible to detect a wider variety of chemicals in water at much lower levels,” Xindi Hu, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, tells Yahoo Life. “This shift has given us more data than we often know how to interpret.”
But water systems are also dealing with complications from natural and human-driven issues. “Climate change, for example, is altering the water cycle, potentially affecting the quantity and quality of source water,” Hu says. “Industrial emissions and evolving water treatment techniques also present challenges to maintaining safe drinking water.”
Click the link to read more about water safety!
Which drinking water is healthiest? The pros and cons of tap, bottled, filtered and more.
What's the healthiest way to hydrate? Here's how tap compares to other drinking water.
12/24/2024
The Public Health Scholars Program (PHSP) at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) is delighted to announce a new incoming cohort of PHSP Scholars.
In 2022, the Milken Institute SPH was awarded nearly $1.5 million by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to strengthen the public health workforce. The funding over three years supports a Public Health Scholars Program that provides full scholarships to students pursuing training in and a career in public health at local and state health departments.
Read more at the link 🔗
The Public Health Scholars Program Announces New Incoming Cohort | Milken Institute School of Public Health | The George Washington University
The Public Health Scholars Program (PHSP) at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) is delighted to announce a new incoming cohort of PHSP Scholars.
12/24/2024
Health Care News!
"Congress has talked a lot about this, but just never got much done. And partly it had to do with the fact that Pharma is such a big lobbyist," Leighton Ku, a professor in the department of health policy and management at George Washington University, said in an interview with CBS News. "So the fact that the Biden administration could work with Congress to get even these marginal things done is impressive."
Biden highlights drug price reductions with New Hampshire visit
President Biden is visiting New Hampshire on Tuesday to tout his health care achievements and put focus on his policy legacy.
12/23/2024
Happy Holidays from all of us at the Milken Institute School of Public Health!
12/23/2024
What you need to know for cooking your holiday meal! (Or any meal for that matter)
E. coli edition ⬇️
🌡️Heating food to about 160°F can kill E. coli, but experts say if you suspect a food may be contaminated, you should throw it away.
Barbara Kowalcyk from the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition spoke with health.com
“The Shiga toxin-producing E. coli that we’re seeing in carrots right now are serious pathogens,” Barbara Kowalcyk, PhD, associate professor and director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, told Health. “They can cause very serious illness and even death, particularly in children.”
🔗https://www.health.com/does-cooking-kill-e-coli-recalls-8751924
Does Cooking Kill E. Coli? What to Know After Multiple Outbreaks, Recalls
With the recent surge in recalls linked to E. coli outbreaks, you might be wondering how to ensure your meals are safe from the bacteria. Experts share their advice on safe cooking practices and preventing E. coli infection.