Category: 2024

PRC Faculty Beth Dodson is one of 16 members on the Report Card Research Advisory Committee: US earns D- on latest youth physical activity report card — again (Links to an external site)

Beth Dodson, PRC faculty, emphasizes the urgent need to improve physical activity among children. As a member of the 2024 Report Card Research Advisory Committee, she advocates for evidence-based policies, such as safe biking routes and increased physical education, to combat declining activity levels nationwide.

Potential of mindfulness to enhance cognitive health in Latinx older adults (Links to an external site)

Washington University in St. Louis researchers are exploring mindfulness to enhance cognitive health in Latinx older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s. Backed by an NIH grant, the project adapts mindfulness to cultural contexts, fostering community and addressing stress. This study aims to evaluate mindfulness as a potential protective factor against dementia.

NSF grant boosts faculty equity and mindfulness initiatives (Links to an external site)

Washington University in St. Louis has received a $3 million NSF ADVANCE grant to promote equity among STEM faculty. The AIM for Equity initiative leverages civic mindfulness to address systemic barriers, focusing on intersectional gender and racial equity. Programs will support inclusive policies, leadership training, and faculty well-being institution-wide.

Maryse Rios-Hernandez receives Brown School Outstanding Staff award

Maryse Rios-Hernandez recently joined the PRC as the Research Manager of the People, Health, and Place Unit. Prior to this position, she worked in the Brown School Dean’s office. In Dean Dorian’s October video newsletter, she highlighted Maryse’s award and thanked her for all she does to encourage and support the Brown School. Maryse holds […]

New Faces at the PRC

Welcome to the newest members of the PRC. Yi Wang, Maryse Rios-Hernandez and Alexandre Silva are working with Rodrigo Reis as part of the People, Health and Place Unit. Dennis Tsagli is working with Amy Eyler. Shai Patel is working with Cheryl Valko and the CAD Core on PRC Communications. Nicola Creagh is a visiting doctoral student and will be splitting time between the PRC and Graham Colditz’s team. 

Welcome Nicola Creagh, visiting doctoral student, to the PRC

Nicola Creagh, MPH, is a PhD Candidate and Research Assistant at the Centre for Health Policy, University of Melbourne. Nicola’s research applies qualitative and quantitative methods in evaluation and implementation science disciplines to evaluate the implementation of policy and program changes, particularly within Australia’s National Cervical Screening Programs, focusing on self-collection of HPV-based cervical screening […]

Local Collaboration Key to Effective Evidence-Based Training, Study Finds

Collaborating with public health departments and other agencies to deliver training in evidence-based public health can offset the effects of high staff turnover, strengthen academic-practice relationships, and promote population-wide health and health equity, found a new study led by Stephanie Mazzucca-Ragan, assistant professor at the Brown School. Training in evidence-based public health (EBPH) has been […]

Celebrating Tim Poor’s Retirement

Tim Poor is retiring after working at WashU for the last 15 years. Tim has been a fantastic part of the communications team at the PRC and has written stories on our center faculty and staff, as well as many of our projects. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Tim for all […]

Ross Brownson, PRC Director, Honored with Outstanding Faculty Award (Links to an external site)

For Ross Brownson, one of the joys of working at Washington University is teaching and mentoring graduate students.

On April 10, Brownson, the Steven H. and Susan U. Lipstein Distinguished Professor at the Brown School, was honored with an Outstanding Faculty Award at the 25th Annual Outstanding Faculty and Staff Awards ceremony, hosted by the Graduate Student Senate (GSS). He was one of eight faculty members commended for their remarkable contributions to the PhD student community.

Brownson expressed gratitude for the recognition. “Our students are the best and the brightest who constantly remind me that our future is in good hands,” he remarked.

New PRC Members

Welcome to our new PRC members: Madisen Brewer and Oreoluwa Oginni! Madisen is a full-time Research Assistant on the AHD Partnership Study with Principal Investigator, Stephanie Mazzucca-Ragan, and Project Manager, Jess Gannon. Oreoluwa is an MPH student specializing in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. He will be working in collaboration with Diana Perez on a project that aims to explore the linkages between implementation strategy mechanisms and evidence-based physical activity and nutrition programs for cancer prevention in Latin America.

Southeast Missouri is Still “Moving” After PRC Intervention Ends

Written by Tim Poor Heartland Moves, an intervention to promote physical activity in Southeast Missouri, has ended, but the project’s local manager, Dixie Duncan, is still “Moving.”  She’s working with communities to expand and develop walking trails, and she’s continuing to promote groups of walkers in conjunction with the wellness council in Poplar Bluff and […]

Welcome to our new PRC members

Drew Crenshaw (he/him) is a doctoral student working as a Research Assistant with Peg Allen on the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Accreditation Success Stories project. He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Master of Public Health with a concentration in Environmental Health from the […]

The D4DS Planner has Officially Launched

The PRC’s Maura Kepper, Allison L’Hotta, Thembie Shato, and Ross Brownson, along with other collaborators, officially launched the new D4DS Planner at the 16th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health, held in Arlington Virginia December 10-13, 2023. The planner was a collaboration between researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, […]