Latest News from Social and Behavioral Sciences

Yale School of Public Health's Dr. Yusuf Ransome and a team of researchers in his Society, Connectedness, and Health (SOCAH) Lab have partnered with Connecticut independent filmmaker Josh Bibbey to produce a documentary about the power and potential of social connectedness to improve public health.

Yale School of Public Health Professor Becca R. Levy has found in her research that people who have taken in negative beliefs from society about aging are more likely to have health problems such as heart attacks, chronic stress, and walking and balance problems.

In a personal and insightful essay, Yale School of Public Health Research Scientist Dr. Jasmine Abrams, PhD, discusses the urgent need for better maternal health care for Black women in the United States and suggests solutions for improving care that go beyond addressing structural racism.

Peter Na, MD, MPH, assistant professor of psychiatry, and Robert Pietrzak, PhD, MPH, professor of psychiatry and of public health, are co-authors of a paper in Translational Psychiatry that reviews literature on the assessment of relevant social factors and pragmatic psychosocial strategies at the individual, family, and community levels to help reduce adverse impact on patients.

Dean Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, co-chaired an annual meeting of global academic public health leaders. They explored new ways to enhance public health education, community practice, and research.

Public assistance programs are designed to support vulnerable individuals. Proposed widespread cuts in assistance programs would cause disruptions in health care access, food security, and housing stability to many in Connecticut, Penelope Schlesinger, MPH, manager of the Yale School of Public Health's Housing and Health Equity Lab says in this commentary.

YSPH student Monica Hirschheimer, MPH '25, is a second-year student interested in addressing disparities and stigmas in health care. She serves as an executive team member for YSPH's UHOPE Haven in pursuit of patient care and advocacy.

Yale School of Public Health research impacts communities around the globe by advancing science and delivering systems-level solutions for a healtheir world. In this research roundup, we highlight YSPH scientists' development of a powerful new technique for detecting genetic variants linked to diseases, a study linking racism-related stress and increased substance use, how white-tailed deer help spread pathogens, and a malaria clinicial trial.

A first-of-its-kind study shows that experiencing violence and trauma leaves a heritable imprint on the human genome.