Community Health Sciences
Emphasizes the integration of research, practice and policy across a wide range of disciplines, offering diverse perspectives on the preservation of health and the origins of disease.
We strive to provide public health researchers, clinicians and practitioners a deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary and community-based nature of public health. Our broad orientation reflects the concept of developmental epigenesis—that is, how biological susceptibility and resistance works alongside social, physical and cultural environments to influence the emergence and prevalence of disease over the course of human life.
We emphasize the integration of research, practice and policy across a wide range of disciplines. Our three programs of study offer diverse perspectives on the origins of disease and the preservation of health.
Health and Social Behavior
Community-based interventions require a close analysis of the interactions between the individual and society. Through survey methods and bio-behavioral research, we train scholars and practitioners to identify the social determinants of health in order to design, implement and evaluate policies and interventions geared towards improving the health of individuals and communities.
Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health
Our mission is to promote and protect the health and well-being of women, infants, children, adolescents and their families through training, research, continuing education, service and advocacy. We respond through interdisciplinary methods to the unique maternal, child and adolescent health needs of the diverse communities of the San Francisco Bay Area, the state of California and the world.
Public Health Nutrition
Amid ongoing problems in rising obesity rates and unsustainable food system practices, we train future food and nutrition leaders to understand public health nutrition challenges and identify their solutions. Through research, policy and practice at local and global levels, students gain the skills needed to advocate for effective nutrition policies, implement population health programs and help create healthy food systems.