The center is led by Professor Joseph Gaugler and seeks to foster interdisciplinary, community-engaged approaches to support students, researchers, and the community when addressing critical issues related to aging.
Charlie Plain
Mapping tick-borne disease risk in Wisconsin
PhD student Austin Rau analyzed the cases of three serious — but lesser-known — tick-borne diseases in Wisconsin and found that they are increasing, moving, and varying over time across the state.
School of Public Health to establish the Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving
The center is led by Professor Joseph Gaugler and will focus on identifying and disseminating promising research findings and best practices for addressing social determinants of health to support family members, friends, and other unpaid individuals who care for people living with dementia.
Nguyen creates distance public health course for people in prison
Associate Professor Ruby Nguyen created an introductory public health class for the Minnesota state prison system that will teach incarcerated residents how to understand the issues of today, and possibly, open the door to a future career in the field.
Evaluating changes in food insecurity, stress, and weight-related behaviors among mothers during pandemic
The findings of the study by PhD students Jessica Friedman and Junia N. de Brito will help clinicians and policymakers improve their understanding of how the pandemic is affecting the health of mothers and connect women and their families with community resources and support.
Study shows brain scans and spinal fluid tests can help correctly diagnose dementia types in patients
The study from the school’s Minnesota Evidence-Based Practice Center could help researchers identify the underlying causes of dementia, which could eventually lead to better treatments.
Black newborns die less when cared for by Black doctors
A study co-authored by Associate Professor Rachel Hardeman found that the in-hospital death rate of Black newborns is a third lower when they are cared for by Black physicians rather than white physicians.
Gum disease raises the risk of developing dementia
Associate Professor Ryan Demmer studied a large group of people with varying levels of gum disease and found 19% of them developed dementia.
Children eat healthier school meals following Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
The study by recent graduate Aaron Berger (PhD ’20) found that kids ate a regular amount of the improved meals, which sets them up for healthier lives.
Two students earn POCI Caucus Internships
MPH students Tricia Alexander and Joanne Hill were selected to be interns for the Minnesota State Legislature’s People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus, which focuses on criminal justice reform and reducing disparities in education, health care, and economic security in the state.
Measuring SARS-CoV-2 infection among a sample of symptom-free Twin Cities health care workers
The results of the study led by Associate Professor Ryan Demmer suggest that the prevalence of active infection at any single point in time is potentially low among health care workers without symptoms.
Rural areas have higher individual health insurance premiums and fewer plan choices
Professor Jean Abraham led the study and believes that undetermined need and cost for health care during the COVID-19 pandemic will only add to the uncertainty surrounding plan choices and pricing in rural and other markets.
