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Meet our new faculty: Jana Hirsch

  • Published
Jana Hirsch, MES, PhD
Jana Hirsch headshot photo
  • Discipline: Epidemiology
  • Research interests: Hirsch is an interdisciplinary researcher who examines how neighborhoods shape healthy aging and health disparities. Their work combines epidemiology, geography, and urban planning to understand the ways that changes to communities influence cognitive and physical health across the life course.
  • Hometown: Stony Brook, NY
  • Current city: Oakland
  • Hobbies: Improv comedy performance; baking/cooking; art/crafts; movement; meditation

Where did you live and work previously?

Prior to joining UC Berkeley School of Public Health, I worked at the Urban Health Collaborative, an interdisciplinary center that is part of the Dornsife School of Public Health within Drexel University (Philadelphia). I’ve been living in the Bay Area since arriving during the pandemic.

What drew you to work and teach at UC Berkeley?

Dedicated students, a collaborative interdisciplinary environment, and world-class staff/resources!

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently the PI of the MESA Neighborhoods and Aging Study, an ancillary project to the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). This cohort has been going since 2000, with rich environmental, social, and neighborhood data across many decades.

What are you most looking forward to this academic year?

Meeting new people and supporting each other to accomplish work that matters to us and our communities. And being able to bike to work!

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