This year promises familiar challenges and new opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic remains a challenge, but we have learned much in the past two years, with new means to fight back, from vaccines to new therapeutics. For our school, this is a time of great opportunities. Building on a cautious but successful fall semester, our school is growing rapidly this year, with a full return to in-person classes for graduate and undergraduate students and the launch of several new strategic initiatives. Jennifer Nuzzo joins us to build a new Center for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, joined by Scott Rivkees, who brings unique frontline experience managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, the nation’s third most populous state. Claire Wardle will lead new efforts to build on our work to understand and counter mis/disinformation, and help others do the same.
This is an extraordinary, even historic moment for public health, a moment we will translate into a movement to improve public health here and around the world.
Dean Jha
And, as you will see in these pages, the crucial work of public health continues well beyond the challenges of the pandemic, as Brown researchers help lead innovative interventions to mitigate substance use disorder through Harm Reduction Centers, and improve care for people with dementia by reinventing care through sophisticated stakeholder engagement.
We also continue to anticipate the work to be done to create an integrated academic health center bringing together Brown University with Lifespan and Care New England to provide all the people of Rhode Island with high quality, high value health care, from world-class physicians, with new opportunities for research and educational partnerships.
Ashish K. Jha MD, MPH
Dean, School of Public Health
