Faculty Promotions Announced

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Davis, Jini

The Department of Public Health Sciences is proud to share exciting news about faculty promotions recently approved by the Academic Affairs Subcommittee of the Board of Directors.

Dr. Jennifer M. Cavallari has been promoted to Professor.
Dr. Shayna D. Cunningham has been promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure.
Dr. Ellis C. Dillon has been promoted to Associate Professor.

These promotions recognize their exceptional contributions to public health research, teaching, and service. Please join us in congratulating Drs. Cavallari, Cunningham, and Dillon on their well-deserved achievements!

Dr. O’Grady Awarded NIH/NIDA Grant on Overdose Prevention

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Davis, Jini

Dr. Megan O’Grady, Associate Professor in Public Health Sciences, received funding as a co-investigator for a newly awarded NIH/NIDA UG3-UH3 grant titled “Preventing Overdose in Supportive Housing: Stepped Wedge Randomized Controlled Trial of a Multi-Sector, Upstream Intervention” lead by NYU Langone (PI: Doran). This 2-phase, 7-year grant will partner UConn Health, Rutgers, and NYU to develop and test strategies for implementing evidence-based practices to prevent drug overdoses in permanent supportive housing settings.

Celebrating Adekemi Suleiman’s Achievement: Advancing Black Healthcare Leadership in Connecticut

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Davis, Jini

We are proud to share that Adekemi Suleiman, MBBS, FWACP, MPH, Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Public Health Sciences, has been selected as one of only two recipients of the National Association of Health Services Executives (N.A.H.S.E.) Connecticut Education Scholarship.

The N.A.H.S.E. CT Education Scholarship was created to promote the advancement of Black healthcare leaders across Connecticut. This year, two graduate students who met the eligibility criteria were awarded a $3,000 scholarship in recognition of their dedication to healthcare leadership and service.

In addition to the financial award, recipients will receive:

A one-year N.A.H.S.E. membership
Registration to the 2025 N.A.H.S.E. Educational Conference
A year-long mentorship with a Connecticut-based executive healthcare leader

Adekemi’s recognition reflects her commitment to improving healthcare systems and advancing equity in public health. We congratulate her on this well-deserved honor and look forward to the impact she will continue to make in the field.

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

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Davis, Jini

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 Davis, Jini

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.