Research and Community

The School of Public Health and Health Services is actively engaged  in research on the most pressing public health issues of today, with  a specific emphasis on applied, rather than basic, research.  Every  department engages in research that brings its faculty, staff, and  students into the field - in the Washington metropolitan area, in  urban and rural settings across the United States, and in many  countries around the world. Faculty and researchers actively  disseminate their work through traditional mechanisms, such as peer-reviewed journals, as well as through Web sites, community  presentations, and testimony for legislative and executive bodies.

SPHHS research identifies unmet needs, tests innovative models and  strategies, and emphasizes evaluation to ensure that what's being  implemented actually works. Much of the school’s research is collaborative and multidisciplinary, engaging other scholars, as well as advocates, policymakers, legislators, private sector representatives,  and the community.  

Among the signature areas of public health research include HIV/AIDS, health care quality, health policy, and health services  management and leadership.

In FY 2009, the School's research expenditures were nearly $80 million. Many of these research projects are community-based and involve students in substantive roles.

Strong communities are the foundation of public health and at SPHHS we are involved with the many outreach, service, training and research efforts necessary to build them. The interventions we craft often emphasize leadership, cultural competency, effective management and consumer education, while recognizing the value of tapping into local resources and engaging those who will be most affected by any action.

We are especially interested in fostering healthy behaviors, strengthening access to care and empowering underserved populations. All of these efforts, and so many others, have at least one common goal - to advance the health of communities at home and abroad.