Research

Dr. Angela Bermúdez‑Milán Leads Community‑Driven Research to Nutrition Access

Posted on April 27, 2026April 27, 2026 by Jini I Davis

Public Health Nutrition students at UConn Health are gaining hands‑on, community‑centered experience thanks to Dr. Angela Bermúdez‑Milán’s innovative approach to teaching public health practice. Through a partnership with the Keney Park Sustainability Project and local health programs, students are applying classroom learning directly to real community needs.

In her Public Health Nutrition course, Dr. Bermúdez‑Milán integrates public health practice, program evaluation, and community engagement. MPH students—including Lisbeth Moran and Michael Raizin—spent time at the Keney Park garden learning about hydroponics, urban farming, and the food hub program. Their work extended beyond observation: students collaborated with program leaders to evaluate existing recommendations from previous consultants and helped strategize how to put those recommendations into action.

During National Public Health Week, Dr. Bermúdez‑Milán also presented findings from a community‑based participatory pilot study conducted with the Hartford Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program at Keney Sustainability Park. The study, Barriers to Farmers Market Voucher Redemption among Hartford WIC Participants, aims to strengthen WIC benefit use and inform future childhood obesity interventions. This work was supported through a collaboration between the UConn Health Department of Public Health Sciences and the ICR/Community Research Alliance (CRA), funded by the Health Net, Inc. Chair in the Department of Public Health Sciences.

The partnership continues to grow. Herb Virgo, Director of the Keney Park Sustainability Project, is exploring new ways to bring fresh produce and nutrition education directly to Hartford communities. Plans include cooking demonstrations using garden-grown vegetables and a repurposed mobile bus that will deliver fresh produce to neighborhoods with limited grocery access.

Students play an active role in these initiatives, gaining first‑hand experience in collaborative public health practice, community engagement, and program implementation. This partnership exemplifies how applied learning can prepare future public health professionals to address real‑world challenges with creativity, cultural humility, and community partnership.

For more information, contact Dr. Angela Bermúdez‑Milán at bermudez-millan@uchc.edu.

To learn more about the Keney Park Sustainability Project, visit: https://keneyparksustainability.org/

CPES Research Highlighted by Pew: Promoting Public Health via Cross-Sector Data Sharing

Posted on April 2, 2026April 3, 2026 by Jini I Davis

We’re proud to share that research and expertise from the Center for Prevention Evaluation and Statistics (CPES) at UConn Health, led by Dr. Megan O’Grady, were featured in a recent article published by The Pew Charitable Trusts, highlighting Connecticut’s leadership in cross-sector data sharing to strengthen public health policy and practice.

The Pew article, “Improving Connecticut’s Public Health Through Cross-Sector Data-Sharing,” examines how Connecticut is using collaborative, cross-agency data efforts to inform prevention strategies and improve health outcomes statewide. Central to this work is the State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW) Prevention Data Portal, a resource developed through partnerships among the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), CPES at UConn Health, and the Connecticut Data Collaborative.

CPES plays a key role in supporting and managing the Prevention Data Portal, which brings together local, state, and federal data sources to make complex public health information accessible and actionable. The portal provides free, publicly available products—including epidemiological profiles, data stories, and infographics—covering topics such as substance use, mental health, suicide, and other critical public health issues affecting communities across Connecticut.

As Pew notes, Connecticut’s experience demonstrates how strong leadership, cross-sector partnerships, and practical use cases can help overcome common barriers to data sharing—without requiring major new investments in infrastructure. The lessons highlighted in the article offer a roadmap for other states seeking to use data more effectively to guide prevention, promote health equity, and inform policy decisions.

This national recognition underscores CPES’s ongoing commitment to data-driven prevention and collaboration in service of healthier communities. We invite you to read the full Pew article to learn more about how Connecticut’s approach to cross-sector data sharing is making an impact—and how CPES research continues to support this important work.

Read the Pew article:
Improving Connecticut’s Public Health Through Cross-Sector Data-Sharing

The Decline of Teen Sleep: A Public Health Issue We Can’t Ignore

Posted on March 9, 2026March 9, 2026 by Jini I Davis

New national data shows that teens across the U.S. are sleeping far less than they used to — and the trend is accelerating. A new analysis from UConn researcher T. Greg Rhee, published in JAMA, reveals that more than half of teens now report getting under five hours of sleep per night, a level associated with emotional, cognitive, and physical health risks. The percentage of teens getting the recommended eight hours has dropped sharply since 2007, and the decline spans all demographic and behavioral groups. Researchers argue that societal factors — from school schedules to evening demands — may be driving the crisis and call for population‑level interventions.

Read the full article here

Air Purifiers May Reduce Heart Risks for People Exposed to Traffic Pollution

Posted on August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 by Jini I Davis

Lead study author Douglas Brugge, chair, Department of Public Health Sciences, UConn School of Medicine (UConn Photo).

Researchers at UConn Health are studying whether portable air purifiers can help reduce heart-related risks for people frequently exposed to traffic-related air pollution, especially ultrafine particles near busy roadways. Prior studies have shown that short-term exposure indoors to such pollutants can raise blood pressure. In controlled settings, using high-efficiency air filters significantly reduced those effects, suggesting potential cardiovascular benefits. The goal now is to assess whether similar benefits occur in real-world home environments.

Curious to learn more about this important research and how everyday air purification might reduce health risks from traffic pollution?
Read the full article here: https://today.uconn.edu/2025/08/air-purifiers-may-reduce-heart-risks-for-people-exposed-to-traffic-pollution/

Research: Outcome Disparities in Cancer: Adverse Events in African-American Patients with Sickle Cell Trait and Other Hemoglobinopathies

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Jini I Davis

Helen Swede, Associate Professor in Public Health Sciences, was awarded a Research Excellence Program (REP) grant by the UConn Office of the Vice-President for Research entitled, “Outcome Disparities in Cancer: Adverse Events in African-American Patients with Sickle Cell Trait and Other Hemoglobinopathies”. This study will expand her prior work in breast and prostate cancers into several additional cancer types along with a deeper look into clinical factors associated with adverse events and mortality. Long thought to be a benign condition, SCT recently has been linked to an increasing number of medical conditions such as chronic kidney disease. This research domain has the potential for substantial translational value given that SCT is found in a far higher proportion of African-Americans compared to whites (8.5% vs 0.20%, respectively), and could explain persistent differences in survival rates. The documented link between SCT and chronic kidney disease is of great relevance in cancer treatment, as well, given the prospect of reduced clearance of powerful anti-cancer drugs – leading to toxicity and other sequalae. On this project, Dr. Swede will continue collaborations with researchers at Hartford Hospital, SUNY at Buffalo, Yale Cancer Center, and UConn Health.

Dr. Greg Rhee Explores Mental Health Screening for Teen Students

Posted on May 30, 2025May 30, 2025 by Jini I Davis

Regular Depression Screening May Benefit High Schoolers, New Research Finds

A recent study led by Dr. Greg Rhee, a faculty researcher in the UConn Department of Public Health Sciences, suggests that routine mental health screenings in high schools could lead to earlier identification and support for students experiencing depression.

Published in JAMA Network Open, the research analyzed data from nearly 250,000 students across 12 U.S. states and found that students who underwent regular depression screening were more likely to receive a depression diagnosis and follow-up treatment compared to those who were not screened.

This study highlights the potential benefits of incorporating mental health screenings into school health protocols—helping identify students in need before symptoms become more severe. As youth mental health challenges continue to rise, early intervention could be a key strategy in public health efforts to support adolescent well-being.

Dr. Rhee’s work is part of our department’s broader mission to translate research into real-world solutions that protect and promote the mental health of communities.

Read the full article on UConn Today:
Regular Screening for Depression May Benefit High Schoolers