Epidemiology News

Nichole Nidey works to change stigma to support

Nichole Nidey, assistant professor of epidemiology, focuses her research on pregnant people and mothers with substance use disorders. She directs the EMPOWER Project, which is committed to listening to patient stories and ensuring that the voices of those with lived experiences drive meaningful change in health care. Published December 16, 2024

Is your apartment ready for the winter???

Resources for more information on winter preparedness: Published December 13, 2024

Platt discusses suicide trends in Iowa

Jonathan Platt, assistant professor of epidemiology, discussed suicide trends in Iowa, the increase in teen suicides, and some of the factors that may be involved. (The Gazette) Published December 2, 2024

Winter Is Coming! Strike Force’s Recommendations for How to be Prepared

Winter is a beautiful and serene season, but the cold weather brings with it an increased risk of some serious health-related challenges. From icy roads to the spread of infectious diseases, winter requires careful preparation to protect both individuals and communities.1 There’s a much broader impact to winter preparedness that many people outside of the public health […] Published December 1, 2024

December Student Spotlight

Fall 2024 Epidemiology Graduates Doctoral Masters Precious-Junia de-Winton Cummings, PhD Dissertation Title:Analyzing COVID-19 Pandemic Response through Case Studies on Testing and Vaccination Strategies in the Midwestern United States and Introducing an Equity Framework for Future Disease Emergency Responses Roba Alwasila, MPH Practicum Title:The impact of storage, handling, and treatment on nutritional quality and safety of […] Published December 1, 2024

December Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Nichole Nidey Hometown: Granger, IA Alma mater: University of Iowa x 3 Field(s) of research: Substance Use, Pregnancy, Parenting, Stigma Topic or title of current project(s): EMPOWER Project Quickfire Queries: Two truths and one lie about me: The name of my current daylist on Spotify: “Cowboy Country Horse Tuesday Morning” Songs I listen to […] Published December 1, 2024

Summer course: Maternal Health in Migrant Communities

The College of Public Health is pleased to offer a brand-new faculty-led global program for summer 2025. Led by Drs. Nichole Nidey and Jonathan Platt, this four-week course will include instruction in Iowa City, as well as one week of travel to Costa Rica. This course is open to graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Iowa. Published November 19, 2024

Call for student posters: 2025 Public Health Conference of Iowa

The 2025 Public Health Conference of Iowa is now accepting student poster abstracts. All poster presentations will be in person at the conference that runs April 1-2 in Des Moines. The deadline for submission is Jan. 27, 2025. Published November 19, 2024

John Flunker joins Department of Epidemiology

The Department of Epidemiology welcomed Assistant Professor John Flunker to the team this fall. Flunker describes himself as an environmental epidemiologist and will be working on projects designed to elucidate the relationship between environmental exposures and associated adverse health outcomes. Published November 14, 2024

Study Finds COVID-19 Pandemic May Have Increased Inequities in Telehealth Utilization

A new study from researchers at the University of Iowa reveals significant disparities in telehealth use for mental health and substance use disorder treatment, particularly among vulnerable populations. Published November 7, 2024