On the Heights: October 2025
Faculty research shapes policy debates on mass deportation, SNAP benefits, and health communication while centers expand lifecourse research focus and new technology advances lab safety training.
Health Behavior and Health Equity
Investigating racism's impact on birth outcomes
Q&A with University of Michigan researcher Safyer McKenzie-Sampson on racism’s impact on reproductive health
Safyer McKenzie-Sampson is the John G. Searle Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She focuses her research on the multi-level impacts of racial discrimination on adverse perinatal outcomes in Black communities. Her work uniquely examines these outcomes through the lens of maternal nativity, highlighting the experiences of Black immigrants
M-PACT Scholar brings youth-centered research home
Q&A with University of Michigan researcher Asari Offiong on adolescent health and community-based participatory research
Asari Offiong is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity at Michigan Public Health, where she conducts community-based research. As an M-PACT Scholar, Her research centers on adolescent sexual and reproductive health, integrating reproductive justice and youth-centered perspectives to understand how young people navigate complex health decisions.
On the Heights: September 2025
Board of Regents approves key leadership appointments and faculty recognition
Board of Regents approves leadership appointments and faculty achievements showcase Michigan Public Health's continued excellence in research and academic leadership.
Healthy Minds Study: College student depression, anxiety decline for third consecutive year
Nation's largest student mental health study finds sustained improvements across key measures
The Healthy Minds Study shows college students reporting lower rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts for the third year in a row, based on responses from 84,000+ students nationwide.
Empowering communities: Transforming mental health care in Honduras
University of Michigan researcher scales mental health interventions globally by training local leaders as community facilitators
A University of Michigan program trains community leaders in Honduras to provide mental health support using cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. The initiative helps vulnerable populations access care in a country where clinical mental health services are scarce.