New School of Public Health center will explore the health impacts of climate change on American Indian and rural populations in the Upper Midwest

Called the Mni Sota Center for Climate Change and Health (M3CH), the center will focus on how climate-related factors—such as extreme weather, air pollution, droughts, and ecosystem changes—affect the health of people in the Upper Midwest, with an emphasis on how these changes are affecting American Indian tribes and rural populations.

New Alzheimer’s research center at SPH will evaluate promising dementia care programs for broad application

A new National Institute on Aging-funded initiative, the State Alzheimer’s Research Support Center (StARS), will serve as a national resource to advance dementia care. The initiative will create a national data infrastructure that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, and equity of state and regional dementia care services.

Equity-based naloxone distribution can save lives while reducing health disparities

“Health inequities in opioid overdose deaths have become more pronounced in recent years, and were greatly exacerbated during the pandemic. By demonstrating that an equity-focused naloxone distribution model can not only save lives, but also reduce health inequities, this study provides evidence that could guide policymakers and public health officials to develop equity-based strategies that ensure naloxone reaches communities most in need.” says Xiao Zang, SPH assistant professor and lead author.

SPH Assistant Professor Katie Berry Receives NIH Director’s Early Independence Award

The National Institutes of Health has recognized University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) Assistant Professor Katie Berry with its 2024 NIH Director’s Early Independence Award, which supports outstanding, early career scientists and is designed to help them bypass the traditional postdoctoral training period to launch independent research careers.