Hamann comments on bill to ban handheld phones while driving

A bill to ban handheld phones while driving is moving forward in the Iowa Legislature. Cara Hamann, associate professor of epidemiology, says a comprehensive ban can improve safety. (Axios) Published January 24, 2025

Q&A: Pentella shares best practices to prevent spread of bird flu

Mike Pentella, professor epidemiology and director of the State Hygienic Laboratory, explains how avian influenza spreads — usually among birds — and that public health surveillance is critical to prevent spreading. Published January 23, 2025

CPH students highlighted in 2025 Dare to Discover campaign

Eight CPH students, post-docs, and recent graduates are featured in the UI's 2025 Dare to Discover banner campaign. Read more about how their research is making an impact. Published January 22, 2025

Nominations for 2025 Outstanding Alumni Awards due March 3

The UI College of Public Health is pleased to announce that it is accepting nominations for its 2025 Outstanding Alumni Awards. This award program recognizes outstanding alumni in two categories: first, recent graduates who have completed College of Public Health programs within the past ten years and, second, other alumni for accomplishments throughout their careers. Published January 21, 2025

Video: CPH faculty address aspects of cancer in Iowa

A recent series of news reports featured several College of Public Health faculty experts, including Mary Charlton, Paul Gilbert, Brandi Janssen, and Mark Vander Weg, who addressed different aspects of cancer in Iowa. (KWWL)  Published January 14, 2025

Levy: Caution needed in interpreting recent study of fluoride and children’s IQ scores

University of Iowa professor of dentistry and epidemiology Steven M. Levy, an international expert on fluoride intake and water fluoridation, addressed a recent study linking fluoride exposure and lower children’s IQ levels. Levy wrote that "several considerations raise substantial concerns about the validity and usefulness of the article," laying out his arguments in an editorial published alongside the study. (JAMA Pediatrics)  Published January 9, 2025

Iowa Cancer Registry to visit all Iowa counties to share cancer data 

The Iowa Cancer Registry plans to deliver county-specific reports to all 99 counties in Iowa and meet with communities to point out particular policies or trends that might be driving higher rates of one particular type of cancer. (Iowa Capital Dispatch) Published January 8, 2025

Charlton, Gilbert comment on new advisory about alcohol and cancer risk

Dr. Vivek Murthy recently released a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, outlining the direct link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk. Mary Charlton, professor of epidemiology and director of the Iowa Cancer Registry, and Paul Gilbert, associate professor of community and behavioral health, spoke to several media outlets about the new advisory. Published January 8, 2025

Hamann participating in 2025 Grant Writing Residency Program

Cara Hamann, associate professor of epidemiology, has been accepted as one of four participants in the Center for Social Science Innovation's (CSSI) spring 2025 Grant Writing Residency Program. Hamann is writing a grant for a project to improve bicycle safety. Published January 6, 2025

PRC-RH seeks Special Interest Project proposals

The UI Prevention Research Center for Rural Health, based in the College of Public Health, is accepting proposals for the 2025 Special Interest Projects supplemental funding. Topics include cancer, lifestyle change implementation research, vaccines, and overdose prevention and treatment research. Anyone at the UI may apply. Published December 17, 2024