On the Heights: March 2026
March highlights include a successful poster session celebrating student research and internships, faculty leadership of a new open access environmental journal, and ASPPH awards and committee appointments.
Environmental Health Sciences Results
How does extreme weather affect community health? A University of Michigan researcher explains
Environmental epidemiologist Carina Gronlund on the surprising links between housing, heat and health equity—and what can be done about it
University of Michigan’s Carina Gronlund investigates how Detroit’s neighborhoods, weather and housing shape health risks. Her research connects extreme heat, pollen and poor housing to sleep, cognitive health and disease—advancing environmental justice, public health, and community resilience amid shifting climate conditions.
On the Heights: February 2026
February highlights include faculty expertise on AI-driven cancer research, youth violence prevention, farmworker housing policy, epigenetics and ultra-processed foods, and a new state advisory appointment.
Epigenetics: Making sense of nutritional triggers
Dana Dolinoy discusses her work on the Michigan Minds podcast
Epigenetics, the study of how environmental and behavioral factors modify gene expression, helps explain how what we eat influences our health.
Cumulative lead exposure linked to increased Alzheimer's and dementia risk, U-M study finds
Researchers show bone lead from past environmental exposures increases dementia risk in older US adults
New U-M research reveals older adults with high cumulative lead exposure face nearly triple the Alzheimer's risk. The study suggests reducing population lead levels could prevent thousands of dementia cases annually.
On the Heights: January 2026
January highlights include groundbreaking research on structural racism and environmental health, new Impact Institute and sustainability funding awards, and faculty expertise featured in national media coverage and global health initiatives.