Faculty Highlights
Meet our faculty and dive into their research projects across diverse public health disciplines. Learn about their areas of expertise, current initiatives, and the impactful work happening within the division.
Lisa Gren, PhD, MSPH
August 12-18 is OSHA’s “Safe & Sound” week, emphasizing efforts to keep workers safe. The National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) also recognizes that promoting wellness is important to overall health.
Workers agree. In 2022, the American Psychological Association conducted a survey, finding that 7 of 10 workers believe that employers are more concerned about employee mental health in the post-COVID period than they were pre-COVID. Additionally, 8 of 10 employees say that a workplace that supports mental health is an important consideration when they are looking for work.
Many organizations are now supporting mental well-being as a way to improve worker experience, as well as the employer’s bottom line (through lower rates of burnout and employee turnover). The Surgeon General has developed a Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-being, which relies on a number of public health principles to support health and well-being, such as (1) protecting people from harm, (2) building social support and community, and (3) creating opportunities for growth.
University of Utah faculty and students from the Division of Public Health are participating in multi-disciplinary research at one of ten NIOSH Centers of Excellence in Total Worker Health®. To learn more about their research, visit the Utah Center for Promotion of Work Equity Research (U-POWER) website.
Karen Schliep, PhD, MSPH
September 29th is “World Heart Day” (WHD), a global celebration of the heart. WHD was established by the World Health Federation in partnership with the World Health Organization to create a day that raises awareness and mobilizes international action against cardiovascular disease (CVD).
CVD—including heart attack, stroke, and heart failure—is the world’s number one killer. Over twenty million deaths occur each year due to CVD, with the majority of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. The good news is that 80% of premature deaths from CVD are preventable. And behaviors under our control, such as what we eat and drink, how much exercise we get, and how we manage our stress, can help prevent CVD.
Across six continents, individuals and communities celebrate World Heart Day in unique ways, including participating in the fun WHD Challenge. What is the challenge? Create your own heart shape route to walk, bike, or run. Share your route on social media with hashtag #WorldHeartDay and/or upload to WHD challenge wall. Three simple steps: 1) Plan your route; 2) Walk, run, or cycle your route on September 29th, alone or with friends; 3) Upload your route with a photo and route details to be added to WHD challenge wall.
University of Utah faculty and students from the Division of Public Health, Lifecourse Epidemiology Lab, are busy at work conducting research on how women’s reproductive health is linked to later CVD risk. Visit their lab website for more information on the work they are doing to help create better heart health for women in Utah and beyond.
Kimberley Shoaf, DrPH, MPH
October 17 is designated as International ShakeOut Day, a day to practice earthquake safety guidance. The ShakeOut began in California as a result of an interdisciplinary team of scientists working together to create an evidence-based earthquake scenario. It was turned into a statewide exercise that has now grown to include exercises and drills across the United States, Canada, and numerous other countries.
A key component of the ShakeOut is to practice earthquake safety guidance such as Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Dr. Kimberley Shoaf, of the Division of Public Health, was one of the scientists that developed the original ShakeOut scenario and has done research on how people get injured in earthquakes. This led to the standardization of Drop, Cover, and Hold On as the practice recommended by all organizations in the United States.
Continued research on earthquake injuries as well as risk communication about earthquakes and other disasters is one component of the Rocky Mountains & High Plains Center for Emergency Public Health. The Center faculty and students focus on research and training to help public health agencies and communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from all types of disasters and public health emergencies. The Center houses one of 10 CDC funded Regional Centers for Public Health Preparedness and Response.
