Epidemiology

When you check the weather on your phone, you're getting a "best guess" based on the nearest airport—but your actual neighborhood could be much hotter. And in high-risk communities, this invisible temperature spike, or major air quality issue, transforms a daily forecast into a serious medical emergency.

Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown, provided commentary in this article. 

What does it take to lead a top-tier School of Public Health? For Dr. Francesca Beaudoin, the journey started in the chaos of the ER. In this episode of Humans in Public Health, we sit down with Interim Dean Beaudoin, who has experienced Brown from every possible angle: as a medical resident, a student, a member of the faculty, a department chair and administrative leader. Now, she steps into the role of Interim Dean.

Building on decades of research supporting mindfulness for stress reduction and cardiovascular health, a new study finds that a mindfulness trial, originally designed to lower blood pressure, significantly reduced depression symptoms, especially for those with early-life adversity.

Erica Walker, an assistant professor of epidemiology and founder of the Community Noise Lab at the School of Public Health, offered commentary on the health impacts of low-frequency noises.

Professor of Epidemiology Jen Nuzzo on continuing measles outbreaks in the U.S. and possibility of losing measles elimination status.

Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at SPH, comments on flu spoke seen in December.

Students in PHP1720 rolled up their sleeves this semester, conducting community-engaged research at 180 local sites, from downtown Providence to the new Pawtucket soccer stadium, revealing disparities in noise pollution and other public health concerns.

New book from Pandemic Center’s Seth Berkley recounts how scientific breakthroughs, supply chain bottlenecks and political battles shaped the pandemic response.

Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown, provided commentary in this article. 

A new study linking pharmacy and Medicare data sheds light on pain management regimens for hip fracture patients in rehabilitation, and raises concerns about potentially dangerous drug-drug interactions.

At the Children’s Health Defense conference in Texas, Craig Spencer saw what public health is up against at the anti-vaccine movement’s biggest gathering

Distinguished Senior Fellow Stephanie Psaki argues that the world is at a rare moment in history where science could stop the next pandemic before it starts — if we choose to act.

Researchers at Brown, including Director of the Center for Climate, Environment & Health Joseph Braun, led a study in that found poor air quality had a negative effect on marathon finish times.

Dean Ashish Jha explains why undermining vaccines will endanger Americans’ freedom in the Boston Globe.

With measles spreading and long-trusted sources of public health information falling short, Professor Jennifer Nuzzo breaks down the outbreak, the state of public health communications and the Pandemic Center’s tracking report, which publishes key infectious disease data every week.

Measles has been declared eliminated in the U.S. for 25 years, but a surge in cases is threatening that status. Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University, joined Humans in Public Health to break down the outbreak, the chaotic federal response and how her team's tracker is stepping in to provide reliable, life-saving data.

Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown, commented on the top worries around bird flu in the U.S.

Many parents believe their children are getting plenty of sleep—but new research from Brown University suggests that notion may be far from the truth. “What parents often don’t see is how long it takes for kids to fall asleep or how often they wake up during the night,” explained paper author and behavioral scientist professor Diana Grigsby-Toussaint in a statement.

Distinguished Senior Fellow Nikki Romanik wrote this op-ed with Demetre Daskalakis on how the name change of mpox will erode years of progress in vaccination and treatment, undermine trusted mpox communication and stigmatize the communities most impacted.

Among its many painful lessons, the COVID-19 pandemic taught us that America’s defenses against a devastating health crisis were far weaker than most had reason to expect. More than 1.2 million Americans lost their lives to COVID, the most of any country. It’s puzzling and frightening to watch the Trump Administration dismantle initiatives aimed at keeping us safe from another pandemic.

Commenting for PBS Newshour, Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist who directs the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health says the manner in which the ACIP was reshaped in recent months, and Kennedy’s statements and actions on vaccines, has worked to undermine public health workers and institutions.

With the CDC in disarray and its future uncertain, this episode explores what’s driving the exodus of agency staff and what this means for national health security. Jennifer Nuzzo is a featured guest.

Texas health officials on Aug. 18 declared the end of a measles outbreak that had sickened more than 760 people across the state and killed two children. Doctors and public-health officials involved in the outbreak, most of whom had previously never encountered a measles patient, are now taking stock of what they’ve learned about the virus and the best ways to prevent and control outbreaks of the disease.

Despite the health claims made about red wine, it turns out it’s no better than white wine, according to researchers from Brown University School of Public Health and Warren Alpert Medical Schools, who studied nearly 96,000 participants.

We had a playbook for handling biothreats. Then Trump pushed out the people who knew how to use it -- by Beth Cameron, Jon Finer, and Stephanie Psaki

The Trump administration is canceling almost $500 million in contracts to develop mRNA vaccines to protect the U.S. against future viral threats. The move thrilled critics of the technology but horrified many public health and biosecurity experts like Jennifer Nuzzo of the Brown Pandemic Center.

An innovative online summer course empowers budding environmentalists nationwide to tackle local public health challenges, fostering informed and engaged community leaders.

Originally launched to track major pandemic outbreaks in the US and around the world, Brown University School of Public Health’s Pandemic Tracker now helps with a wide range of public health efforts. Led by Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center and professor of epidemiology at SPH, the tracker helps public and policy makers stay on top of disease outbreaks during a time of economic strain and political polarization.

Through a pioneering fellowship with Brown’s Pandemic Center, genomic epidemiologist Edyth Parker is working to prevent man-made biological threats and foster responsible innovation by mapping DNA synthesis practices and helping to shape biosecurity policies across Africa.

Professor of Epidemiology Marianthi Kioumourtzoglou discusses the limitations of and current models for assessing wildfire-smoke exposure and its health impacts.

A special live Commencement & Reunion Weekend episode of our podcast, Humans in Public Health, brings Brown University experts from epidemiology and urban studies for a discussion on cities: How they collect public health problems and the ways they might help us to address those same issues.

For the first time since the COVID vaccines became available in pharmacies in 2021, the average person in the U.S. can’t count on getting a free annual shot against a disease that has been the main or a contributing cause of death for more than 1.2 million people around the country, including nearly 12,000 to date this year. “COVID’s not done with us,” says Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Brown University. “We have to keep using the tools that we have. It’s not like we get to forget about COVID.”

How does exposure to “forever chemicals” impact pregnancy? Is there a connection between firearm ownership and elevated lead levels in children? These are the kinds of studies Brown University carried out through its Center for Children’s Environmental Health in recent years, placing an emphasis on solutions-oriented research, said environmental epidemiologist Joseph Braun, the center’s director.

Biomedical and public health research in the United States now finds itself in an existential moment. The government’s proposed changes, if allowed to take place, will absolutely decimate not just the nation’s but the world’s ability to study disease, therapeutics, and health outcomes.

The number of people who died of drug overdoses in the U.S. dropped dramatically in 2024, a promising sign amid a national fentanyl crisis that has fueled a surge in drug-related deaths in recent years. “This progress is encouraging, but it’s fragile,” said Alexandria Macmadu, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown University’s School of Public Health. “We can’t mistake this progress for victory. Sustained investment is essential if we want to build on this momentum instead of backsliding.”

Professor Ronald Aubert's course aims to help students understand the complexities of the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, identifying the factors that result in such high prescription drug prices.

Professor Alex Macmadu, an epidemiologist who has spent her career studying the opioid and overdose crisis, shares insights on Rhode Island’s bold step in opening the first state-approved overdose prevention center in the U.S. and what her research reveals about community attitudes toward harm reduction.

In Rhode Island, the terminations have come in steadily since February, officials at both Brown University and the University of Rhode Island said, and it’s not clear when they will stop. The Trump administration is also seeking to slash overhead costs for research across the board, and has threatened to freeze an unspecified $510 million from Brown, roughly double the Ivy League institution’s annual federal funding.

Five years after the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, School of Public Health experts look to Washington as they weigh in on where our biosurveillance tools and preparedness systems stand now: What’s changed, what hasn’t and what must be built to make us ready for the next pandemic?

With the United States facing its largest single measles outbreak in 25 years, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will direct federal health agencies to explore potential new treatments for the disease, including vitamins, according to an H.H.S. spokesman. The decision is the latest in a series of actions by the nation’s top health official that experts fear will undermine public confidence in vaccines as an essential public health tool.

Disease trackers say cases are likely not connected, but definitive answers may prove elusive....“Without additional information, no conclusion can be reached: if it is due to chance, or some potential work-related exposure,” said Tongzhang Zheng, an epidemiology professor in the Brown School of Public Health, who is not involved in the Newton-Wellesley investigation.

Research out of Brown University is making its way to the national spotlight. It concerns the overdose prevention center in Providence.