Public Health

Public Health
at Brown Univ ersit y
Brown’s Public Health Program was ranked 10th in the nation in research
funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2009.
Public Health at Brown University
Brown’s Public Health Program (PHP) has one overarching goal: to improve
population health. The Program conducts research on disease risk factors and
health promotion, translates the research into usable public health policy and
practice, and focuses on the education of its students — the health researchers
and policy makers of tomorrow.

The Public Health Program is an ideal academic setting for individuals pursuing a wide
variety of public health careers. The Program’s academic home is within both Brown’s
medical school, Alpert Medical School, and the University’s Division of Biology and
Medicine. It offers graduate degrees in master’s-level coursework in public health,
biostatistics, and behavioral and social science intervention, as well as doctoral programs
in epidemiology, health services research, and biostatistics. Post-doctoral training is
also offered.

At the core of the Program are Brown’s 10 highly productive, multidisciplinary public health
research centers and institutes. Collaboration with these renowned and well-funded
centers provides students the opportunity to learn how to conduct high-quality research
and to manage successful, real-world health initiatives.

Brown’s Program is a point of convergence for public health-related activities throughout

the University, as well as for public, private, and local and national governmental public
health entities. Students benefit from the PHP’s status as Rhode Island’s only public health
program, as well as from its connection to Rhode Island’s only school of medicine and its
strong ties to the Rhode Island Department of Health — affording unparalleled access to
the state’s richly diverse population and communities.

The Public Health Program is rooted in Brown’s tradition of academic excellence, innovative
collaboration, and connection to the community. In fact, the Program at Brown is much
like the field of public health itself: grounded in multidisciplinary synergies and focused on
service to populations.

P ub l i c h e a lt h at b r o w n u n i v e r s i t y 1
 Charnise Virgil grew up in Mississippi, where she had direct insight into the issues of teen
pregnancy and risky sexual behavior among adolescents. “Because these issues affected
many of my friends…I was also affected. Though I didn’t know it at the time,” she says,
“this was the start of my passion for a career in public health.”

She applied to Brown because it appealed to her, both generally and in its commitment to
small classes and diverse faculty — who would, she knew, challenge her and encourage
her growth.

Charnise has been accepted to a doctoral program at the University of Arkansas School
for Medical Sciences, which she will begin in the spring of 2011. Once her program is
complete, she plans to work on the same issues she first observed as a young teenager
in Mississippi. “My goal in life is to provide services and interventions for [these]
adolescents and their families,” she says.

Ch a r nis e Vi r gi l M P H ’ 10

Graduate Studies in Public Health

Graduate study in public health at Brown has a singular purpose: to train leaders who are armed
with the skills to conduct research, improve programs, bring about policy change, and improve
the health of populations.

In addition to the MPH Program, we offer graduate degrees in four areas: behavioral and social
sciences, biostatistics, epidemiology, and health services research.

M a st e r o f P u b l i c H e a lth ( M P H ) of public health. In addition, each student works with

Brown’s Master of Public Health Program prepares
students for careers in the public, non-profit, and private
sectors. The MPH Program’s goal is to help students
become skilled professionals committed to improving the
health of communities by translating rigorous scientific
research into sound, evidence-based public health policy
and practice.
The program is geared toward individuals who have had
relevant experience in the community or in health care
institutions, or who have a demonstrated commitment
to public health. Students range from new college
graduates planning careers in public health to seasoned
physicians seeking to broaden their understanding of
the field.
an advisor to plan electives, internships, and the
development of a thesis. Rather than following tracks
in specific public health areas, students are encouraged
to tailor their academic experience to their individual
interests and educational goals. Two internships — 
one lasting a semester and the other, a longitudinal
experience — provide practical, real-world settings in
which to see the theoretical concepts learned in class
being applied.
Launched in 2000, the MPH Program received its first
five-year accreditation from the Council on Education
for Public Health in 2002 and was reaccredited for seven
more years in 2007. Enrollment has grown steadily,
reflecting the growing interest in public health careers.

The program’s unusually high faculty-to-student ratio

gives students substantial interaction with instructors
who are accessible, approachable, and supportive of
student involvement in critical projects.
All students in the program take core courses designed
to develop analytical skills and knowledge in key areas
G r a d uat e S t u d i e s in B e h av i o r a l a n d
S o c i a l S c i e n c e I nt e r v e nti o n :
ScM or AM
In order to improve the health of societies, it is imperative
to understand and change unhealthy behaviors and

2 alpert medical school

Rachel Popick selected Brown because she liked that its MPH program, unlike other programs, doesn’t
have specific tracks — and instead enables students to take classes that will help prepare them for their
particular future career.

Rachel’s favorite experience at Brown was completing her thesis. “The mentorship available went above
and beyond my expectations. My thesis advisor was supportive, encouraging and challenged me to think
of new approaches to my analysis and build a strong paper that could be submitted for publication.” After
Rachel graduated, she continued to work with her advisor. “[She] is someone I can still go to for advice
and support,” Rachel says.

Rachel is currently in an accelerated Nurse Practitioner Program at Yale University, where her specialty is
acute care.

R ac h e l P o pi c k M P H ’ 0 9

P ub l i c h e a lt h at b r o w n u n i v e r s i t y 3
 social conditions that give rise to preventable forms
of morbidity and mortality. The interdisciplinary master’s
program in Behavioral and Social Sciences Intervention
at Brown trains graduate students who are interested
in analyzing the complex behavioral and social determi-
nants of public health and in developing interventions to
improve outcomes.
The program seeks to train the next generation of public
health intervention specialists in:
• the use of state-of-the-art experimental and non-
experimental research methods for the improvement
of health in the community, with a focus on
the important role of behavior change in health
promotion.
• thecommunication and application of scientific
knowledge related to health behavior change.
• multidisciplinary intervention design and evaluation.
• leadership skills for the purpose of improving and
delivering health promotion/disease prevention
services at all levels.
The Behavioral and Social Sciences Intervention program
is ideal for individuals who are interested in working
in health program evaluation, program management,
community-based organizations and other non-profit
services, managed care, treatment intervention research,
clinical trials, and many other fields. The Behavioral
and Social Sciences Intervention program is also ideal
for those interested in pursuing doctoral-level training
in public health, psychology (e.g., clinical or counseling
psychology, health or social psychology, community
psychology), public policy, and social welfare. The
master’s program in Behavioral and Social Sciences
Intervention is designed to be completed within
one year, though a part-time option is also available.
We offer two master’s degree options: the AM degree
(with capstone experience) and the ScM degree
(with thesis).
G r a d uat e S t u d i e s in Epi d e mi o lo gy:
S c M a n d P hD
In recent years, epidemiology has come to the forefront
of public health research. Epidemiologists study and
seek solutions to many important problems in public
health and clinical medicine by quantifying patterns and
determinants of human population health. Researchers
in the field gather and analyze data using cutting-edge
4 alpert medical school
computer technologies to help them find ways to reduce
the burden of disease, injury, and disability.
At Brown, major areas of faculty research in epidemi-
ology include social, psychiatric, reproductive, and life
course epidemiology; nutrition; heart disease; HIV/AIDS;
violence; and environmental epidemiology.
The ScM program in epidemiology provides advanced
training in the underlying principles and practice of epi-
demiology, as well as a solid foundation in biostatistics.
The aim is to enable students to conceptualize different
epidemiologic approaches, synthesize existing literature,
experience the design and conduct of epidemiological
studies, analyze data, and effectively communicate
findings.
The doctoral program expands on the ScM program and
provides the training necessary to carry out independent
research in the theory, methodology, and application
of epidemiology to disease prevention and health
promotion. All students in the doctoral program are
required to demonstrate mastery of advanced epidemio-
logic methods, which is assessed via coursework and
examinations. Students benefit from the opportunity to
conduct research in Brown’s public health centers and
institutes, as well as at the Rhode Island Department of
Health and other affiliated entities.
G r a d uat e S t u d i e s in B i o statisti c s :
A M , S c M , a n d P hD
Biostatistics is a dynamic and rapidly expanding
field of study. By developing new quantitative methods,
characterizing underlying theory, and making innovative
applications to substantive and demanding scientific
problems, biostatisticians play a central role in the
advancement of biomedical and public health research.
Demand for advanced expertise in biostatistics continues
to be high in academia and in the public and private
sectors, particularly in settings emphasizing research
in biomedicine and biotechnology.
Biostatistics faculty at Brown collaborate actively with
investigators in several areas, such as cancer prevention
and screening, genomics and bioinformatics, neurosci-
ences, social science and health policy, behavioral
genetics, and HIV/AIDS.
The master’s program provides advanced training in the
theory and application of statistical methods in public
Edward Martin selected Brown’s MPH program because it allowed him to take one course
at a time while continuing to work as a physician.

“I had been in practice for 20 years when I entered the MPH Program at Brown. I had been
interested in research but didn’t have the skills to contribute in any meaningful way. I also
found that as students and residents planned projects while doing a hospice rotation, I
was limited in my ability to assist in designing and completing surveys and small research
projects. My work has also required me to plan and implement quality improvement
projects, and I required a great deal of support in this area.

Learning biostatistics, research design, and methodology has enabled me to be a much

more effective mentor for students and residents and has allowed me to implement a study
developed to determine the most effective strategies for influencing physicians to use
hospice more effectively.”

E d wa r d M a r tin ’ 7 6 M D ’ 7 9 M P H ’ 0 7
C linical A ssociat e P ro f e ssor o f M e d icin e
M e d ical Dir e ctor , H om e an d H ospic e C ar e o f R ho d e I slan d

health, clinical medicine, and the biological sciences. The doctoral program in health services research at
Training is designed for a heterogeneous audience that Brown seeks to educate scientists who are:
includes individuals pursuing careers as professional • experienced in the use of research methods to study
statisticians or data analysts in industry, government, the organizational characteristics of health care
or academia; those contemplating doctoral study delivery systems, the economic forces that shape
in biostatistics; and established researchers seeking consumer and provider behavior, and the policies
advanced training in biostatistics. We offer two master’s that affect these relationships.
degree options: the AM degree (coursework only) and
• skilled in the communication of scientific knowledge.
the ScM degree (coursework and thesis).
• trainedto make optimal contributions to multidisci-
The doctoral program is designed to educate indepen- plinary teams in academic settings, government
dent researchers who will develop new quantitative agencies, and health service delivery organizations.
methods and underlying theory and make innovative
• equipped with leadership skills for the purpose of
applications to substantive and demanding scientific
improving services and influencing health policy,
problems in public health, medicine, biology, and the
such that those policies lead to more equitable use
social sciences. The program emphasizes the theory,
of resources and health outcomes.
methods, and applications of biostatistics that are
central to modern interdisciplinary research. Strengths of the Health Services Research program at
Brown include a student-centric approach to learning,
a high faculty-to-student ratio, and the opportunity for
G r a d uat e S t u d i e s in H e a lth
hands-on supervised research.
S e r v i c e s R e s e a r c h : P hD
Health services research examines issues that are
increasingly important in our current health care system.
Researchers investigate health care costs and quality,
access to care, and patient outcomes ­— as well as
how these areas are affected by financing systems,
organizational structures, care processes, health
technologies, social factors, and personal behaviors.
This field is designed to identify the most effective ways
to reduce medical errors, improve patient safety, and
manage and deliver high-quality care.

P ub l i c h e a lt h at b r o w n u n i v e r s i t y 5
 After graduating magna cum laude from Northeastern University with a major in behavioral neuroscience and
a minor in human services, Chima Ndumele earned an MPH from Tufts with a concentration in Health Policy
and Management.

Before coming to Brown, Chima worked as a research analyst at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
He also served as the project director of the Harvard Medical School-funded Community Health and Academic
Medicine Partnership, a program designed to address racial disparities in chronic disease management in
community-based settings.

Chima’s research interests include exploring the impact of organizational factors on quality of care and
disparities in health.

“Studying public health at Brown provides a unique experience. It offers personal access to world-class
researchers, an opportunity to collaborate with local public health officials, and the chance to conduct
nationally relevant policy work, all in a program designed to maximize each student’s individual strengths.”

Chim a N d u m e l e , P hD c a n d i dat e , H e a lth S e r v i c e s R e s e a r c h

6 alpert medical school

Professor Bill Rakowski leads a group of MPH students in a discussion on health interventions.
Joint Programs
The Public Health Program at Brown offers several joint and combined degree programs,
including the AB/MPH, MD/MPH, and MD/PhD programs.
AB/MPH
The five-year joint-degree program is open to Brown
undergraduates majoring in community health. In
collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of
Health and other agencies, students in the AB/MPH
Program have the advantage of pursuing research
opportunities, community service, and data analytic
internships. Brown undergraduates in the AB/MPH
Program must major in community health, qualify
for the honors track, and successfully complete an
honors thesis.
M D/ M P H
The five-year MD/MPH Program is designed to train
leaders in public health who are armed with the skills
to conduct research, bring about policy change, and
positively affect the health of populations. Alpert Medical
School students are eligible to apply for this program
to complete both the MD and the MPH degree in as little
as five years. During the “MPH year,” students complete
most of the required MPH courses and begin the MPH
thesis. MD/MPH students then complete the MPH
thesis and any remaining course requirements during
the remainder of medical school.
Students interested in the MD/MPH Program must apply
separately to both Alpert Medical School and Brown
University’s Graduate School.
M D/ P hD
Alpert Medical School’s MD/PhD Program is designed
to provide physician-scientists with a combination of
biomedical research skills and clinical aptitudes that will
enable them to make unique and meaningful contribu-
tions to patients, medical science, and society.
Students attain both the MD and the PhD degrees over
a period of six to nine years. Students generally spend
the first two years taking the required, preclinical medical
courses at Alpert Medical School. The next two to
five years are spent in study and research to complete
the requirements for the PhD degree. Two years of
clinical studies follow to fulfill the requirements for the
MD degree.
At present, the MD/PhD Program only considers
applications from those who are internal to the Brown
University community.
P ub l i c h e a lt h at b r o w n u n i v e r s i t y 7
 Kelley Smith selected Brown’s MPH program because it offered her the flexibility
of studying part-time while continuing her full-time job. “I appreciated that Brown
didn’t just pay lip service to accommodating professionals who were building
their skills,” she says.

She is currently field director on Professor Steve McGarvey’s Diabetes Care in

American Samoa project. The unincorporated territory, which is roughly halfway
between Hawaii and New Zealand, has been her home since May 2009. As field
director, Kelley oversees adherence to the research protocols, helps to ensure
data quality, and manages personnel issues and the finances of a subcontract,
among other responsibilities.

“Doing fieldwork day in and day out in a resource-limited setting is challenging,”

she says. “It’s a very different experience from case studies in the classroom,
but I appreciate that the Brown program was global in its scope.”

K e l l e y S mith M P H ’ 0 8

A Thriving Research Agenda

Public Health Program students are closely involved with Brown’s 10 nationally renowned
public health research centers and institutes, where they directly experience the connections
among health research, policy, and practice.

Fueled by findings in basic science and the growing
need for effective health interventions, funding for public
health research — including translational research —  HIV/AIDS research, training, and clinical care.
has increased substantially over the past decade.
Each center and institute at Brown is home to a robust
research program and focuses on one of a number
of key areas, including alcohol and addiction, tobacco
cessation, HIV/AIDS, aging and health services, inter-
national health, and health behavior interventions.
Brown’s centers and institutes have become influential
voices in the national dialogue on public health issues.
Through collaboration with these centers and organiza-
tions, students learn to conduct quality health research,
participate in effective community service initiatives,
and effect policy change.
C e nte r s a n d I nstitute s
B r ow n Uni v e r sit y A I D S P r o g r a m
( B RU N A P )
From the very beginnings of the AIDS pandemic, Brown
has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS research and
treatment. BRUNAP’s central mission is to coordinate
the educational activities of the more than 100 affiliated
faculty, students, fellows, and medical trainees, as well
as community-based health care providers involved in
www.brown.edu/Departments/BRUNAP/
C e nt e r fo r A lc o h o l a n d
A d d i c ti o n S t u d i e s
The Center promotes the identification, prevention,
and effective treatment of alcohol and other drug use
problems in our society through research, education,
training, and policy advocacy. More than 90 faculty
and professional staff members from 11 University
departments and Alpert Medical School’s affiliated
hospitals pursue the research and education activities
of the Center. Faculty research focuses on alcohol
abuse/dependence, drug abuse/dependence, and
tobacco use, and ranges from laboratory investigations
of mechanisms through treatment or early intervention
to policy. Its Alcohol Research Center on HIV (ARCH)
was recently recognized with a five-year, $7.5 million
grant from the National Institutes of Health.
www.caas.brown.edu/

8 alpert medical school

C e nt e r s fo r B e h av i o r a l a n d
P r e v e nti v e M e d i c in e
Under the behavioral health umbrella, three major
research centers address the leading lifestyle causes
of disease and death. The centers are a collaboration
between The Miriam Hospital and Brown University. The
Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center is home
to the national Weight Control Registry, a major under-
taking that tracks how people lose weight and keep it off.
Taking a collaborative and transdisciplinary approach,
all of the centers, which also include the Physical Activity
Research Center and Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Center, are working to advance scientific knowledge of
the role of behavior in the promotion of health and in the
prevention and the management of illness.
www.lifespan.org/behavmed/
C e nt e r fo r G e r o nto lo gy a n d
H e a lth Ca r e R e s e a r c h
The Center conducts multidisciplinary research and
organizes educational efforts to improve the health and
health care of older persons and others with chronic
conditions. Research on aging and long-term care has
established the Center as a major contributor to national
policy on nursing home care and end-of-life issues.
The Center also trains postdoctoral clinicians and PhD
scientists for health services research in areas such
as cancer treatment and prevention, health promotion,
long-term care quality, community-based systems
of care, health care organizations, and methodological
approaches to health services research.
www.chcr.brown.edu/
C e nt e r fo r P r im a ry Ca r e a n d
P r e v e nti o n
Home to more than 40 scientists, physicians, and
educators, the Center promotes research, enriches
knowledge, and improves practice in primary care and
prevention. The Center is a collaborative effort between
Brown University and Memorial Hospital of Rhode
Island, where the Primary Care Center serves as a
base of operations for faculty and staff. Center faculty
are recognized internationally for their pioneering work
in community health promotion, disease prevention,
women’s health, health access for underserved
populations, and medical education in primary care
and family medicine. Faculty research builds on landmark
studies, such as the Pawtucket Heart Study and the
NIH Women’s Health Initiative, for which the Center was
the largest recruitment site.
http://med.brown.edu/CPCP/
C e nt e r fo r S tatisti ca l
Sciences (CSS)
The mission of CSS is to provide a focal point of statisti-
cal expertise for the Brown research community and to
foster research and statistical education in the Medical
School and the University. Recognized experts in bio-
statistics, epidemiology, and health services research,
the faculty are active and widely published researchers.
Areas of expertise include Bayesian inference, statistical
genetics, and longitudinal data. The CSS also serves
as the biostatistics core for local and national biomedical
research projects — including the Biostatistics Center of
the American College of Radiology Imaging Network — 
and was part of a landmark study that established the
superior diagnostic abilities of digital mammograms,
particularly in younger women.
http://www.stat.brown.edu/
I nstit u t e fo r C o mm u nit y H e a lth
P r o m oti o n ( I C H P )
The Institute strives to improve health, especially in
underserved populations, by conducting interdisciplinary
research and developing educational programs to
empower individuals, providers, organizations, and
communities to practice and promote healthier behaviors
and environments. Current projects focus on improving
dietary habits, reducing pregnant mothers’ exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and using culturally
sensitive materials to promote control of hypertension.
ICHP faculty members maintain strong collaborative
relationships with a wide array of medical schools,
community service organizations, and worksites, as
well as with major funding institutions.
http://publichealth.brown.edu/ICHP
P ub l i c h e a lt h at b r o w n u n i v e r s i t y 9
 Nathaniel Lepp, a former legislative policy analyst, chose Brown because
he knew the University would both support his public health interests
and challenge him as a student. Once he arrived, he found “an incredibly
supportive dean, passionate professors, and the kindest administrative
staff I have encountered,” he says. “I was well supported on all levels.” In
the MPH Program, Nathaniel says that he became a better advocate for
the public’s health.

Nathaniel is currently a first-year medical student at New York Medical

College, where in addition to studying for his classes, he continues to work
with mentors at Brown on data analysis and manuscript preparation. “Above
all,” he says, “Brown provided me with an analytic foundation that enables
me to critically assess research studies and design my own,” skills that
will enable him to accurately evaluate new health practices and treatments
for his future patients.

N ath a ni e l L e pp M P H ’ 0 9

C e nt e r fo r P o p u l ati o n H e a lth a n d of this research into practical, measurable improvements

C l ini ca l Epi d e mi o lo gy
The goal of the Center is to conduct epidemiological
studies of the causes, treatment, and prevention of
major health concerns at the population level. The
Center’s faculty are epidemiologists, physicians, and
social scientists who combine state-of-the-art research
methods with expertise in specific diseases, including
cardiovascular, reproductive, nutritional, psychiatric,
and behavioral disorders, as well as cancer. Research
in etiology involves several large-scale longitudinal
(in some cases, decades-long) projects to investigate
the emergence of disease and disorder as well as the
combined influences of environmental, nutritional, social
and genetic factors. Randomized clinical trials and other
clinical investigations are conducted in collaboration
with leading hospitals and other treatment facilities in
Rhode Island and throughout the US. Center faculty
also collaborate regularly with Rhode Island agencies,
including the departments of Health, Human Services,
Education, and others to assist with statewide analyses
of population health and the implementation of
population-based prevention efforts.
in environmental health and in the identification and
remediation of hazardous environmental contamination
in Rhode Island.
http://publichealth.brown.edu/ceht/
I nt e r n ati o n a l H e a lth I nstit u t e ( I H I )
The IHI develops, promotes, and coordinates the inter-
national health activities of Brown faculty and students.
Its mission is to apply interdisciplinary perspectives
in research and training to improve the health of popula-
tions in developing countries. IHI faculty have established
research collaborations with institutions in many coun-
tries. Each year undergraduate, medical, and graduate
students complete research projects and academic work
under the close mentorship of faculty sponsors. Topics
have included malaria vaccine candidate identification,
the effects of migration on HIV/AIDS in Vietnam, and the
effects of modernization in Samoa.
http://publichealth.brown.edu/ihi/

http://publichealth.brown.edu/CPHCE/

C e nt e r fo r En v i r o nm e nta l H e a lth
a n d T e c hn o lo gy ( CE H T )
The newly established CEHT is an interdisciplinary
science-based and community-active center. The CEHT
catalyzes research from across Brown that addresses
environmental problems. It then facilitates the translation

10 alpert medical school

“One of the really special qualities of Brown’s Public Health Program is the emphasis on learning by doing.
This approach enables our students to make real contributions to the field while they are still in training.
Our students are engaged in cutting-edge research, presenting their findings at prestigious meetings, and
publishing in important journals. They also play active roles in addressing important public health issues
in Rhode Island, taking on projects like mapping the problem of lead poisoning to guide a multi-million dollar
lead remediation program.”

Dr. Vivier, above, meets weekly with his thesis advisees to provide mentoring and support as they develop
the capstone experience of their MPH degree.

Pat r i c k Vi v i e r , M D , P H D
A ssociat e P ro f e ssor o f C ommunity H e alth an d P e d iatrics
Dir e ctor o f th e M ast e r o f P ublic H e alth P rogram

P ub l i c h e a lt h at b r o w n u n i v e r s i t y 11
 E x t e r n a l F u n d ing f o r P u b l i c H e a lth R e s e a r c h at B r o w n

$35M $35,406,553

$30M
$29,812,708
$28,119,642 $27,883,152 $28,005,598
$27,114,974
$25M
$24,179,579
$22,838,238
$20M
$18,379,388
$15M
$14,657,360

$10M

$5M
FY’01 FY’02 FY’03 FY’04 FY’05 FY’06 FY’07 FY’08 FY’09 FY’10

Externally funded research and training continues to grow in Brown’s Public Health Program. This chart
shows expenditures from external sources for the eight public health centers and institutes based at Brown.
Total expenditures from all 10* public health centers and institutes exceeded $55 million in 2010.
*The two centers not included in the graph are the Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine (based at The Miriam Hospital) and the Center for
Primary Care and Prevention (based at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island).

Partnerships in Health
Regardless of discipline, the researchers of the Public Health Program share a common goal:
to disseminate and facilitate application of their findings and to influence public policy for
the improvement of population health. At Brown, faculty members go beyond conducting
research — they work to turn their findings into real-world change.

Because the Program developed as a partnership with
the Rhode Island Department of Health, faculty members
inform state policymaking on issues ranging from bio-
terrorism preparedness to health care standards in the
state prison. These partnerships have grown to include
the Department of Human Services and other agencies.
Students thus have the rare opportunity to witness
the continuum of public health first hand and to learn
about conducting research, delivering community-based
interventions, and effecting health policy change.
The research products of Brown’s public health centers
have informed policy at the national and international
levels on a number of issues, and current research will
help us address some of the most pressing health issues
of our day — including tobacco use, alcohol, addictions,
obesity and diabetes, aging, long-term and end-of-life
care, and health care delivery. One example of the policy
leadership provided by faculty is their influence on health
planning in Rhode Island. Faculty have worked with
the state’s attorney general on a major public initiative
to improve end-of-life-care, as well as on a program
to address lead poisoning among children. And for more
than 20 years, the Center for Alcohol and Addiction
Studies has used the data from its research to advocate
for changes in policies and legislation surrounding
the addictions. Physicians and Lawyers for National
Drug Policy: A Public Health Partnership (PLNDP), an
advocacy group that emerged from the Center, is an
organization of the nation’s leading physicians and
attorneys whose goal is to promote and support public
policy and treatment options that are scientifically based,
evidence driven, and cost effective.
These are just a few examples of the ways in which
researchers in the Public Health Program contribute
to health policy at the local, state, and national levels.

12 alpert medical school

Ali Jeronimo has always been interested in issues related to access to health care. As
an undergraduate at Hunter College in New York City, she traveled to Costa Rica, where
she worked with refugee and immigrant populations.

“When I see folks who are marginalized, without access to a system, I start thinking about
how to start cutting down those barriers,” she says. “You know lack of education and
poverty can have lethal effects, but when you see it, it’s so much more meaningful.”

Though she had real-world experience, Ali needed to develop her analytical skills and
increase her knowledge if she was to take her work to the next level. She researched
Brown’s MPH program and, she says, “I fell in love with the size, the intimacy.”

Ali also soon found her ideal summer internship: working with renowned infectious
diseases and addiction expert Dr. Josiah D. Rich at a needle exchange program in
Providence. “I got to do the actual rapid HIV testing and the academic work,” she says.

“The MPH Program doesn’t end with graduation. You get an amazing amount of not only
professional but personal outreach on an ongoing basis.”

Today Ali is director of community outreach for a foundation in the Dominican Republic
that supports public health, public education, and culture in the region.

A l i J e r o nim o M P H ’ 0 9

The Plan for Academic Enrichment and

Expansion of Public Health at Brown
In 2004, the Brown Corporation endorsed the Plan for Academic Enrichment, a historic outline
for strategic growth over five to seven years in all areas of the University, but particularly in the
Public Health Program. Significant new investments in the Program are solidifying its strengths
and supporting expansion into new areas of public health science.

Most notably, the number of faculty has more than
doubled as more professors and researchers were
recruited to support new research initiatives, enhance
capacity in the public health research centers, and
meet the needs of growing student programs. These
recruitments build upon areas of expertise and offer
new opportunities in such areas as the neurobiology
of addictions, bioinformatics, transformation from
infectious to chronic disease burden in developing
nations, behavioral genetics and chronic disease,
health disparities, and health promotion dissemination
research.
The University purchased a building that since 2005 has
served as a home for the PHP, including the master’s
and doctoral programs and the public health research
centers and institutes. The Public Health building
includes offices, classrooms, a student café, a computer
lab, a survey research facility, and other resources to
support the work of faculty, students, and staff. This
consolidation of PHP’s research centers facilitates great-
er academic integration and promotes program growth.
Never before in Brown’s history has research in the
life sciences been so dynamic. Driven by external
funding that has more than doubled since 1999, the
research enterprise of Brown’s Division of Biology
and Medicine — which includes Alpert Medical School,
the Program in Biology, the Public Health Program,
and seven affiliated teaching hospitals — attracts
approximately $180 million annually.

P ub l i c h e a lt h at b r o w n u n i v e r s i t y 13

Admission and Financial Aid
The PHP seeks candidates who are intellectually curious, highly motivated, and committed
to the study of public health. Students from a variety of backgrounds and fields of study
are welcome to apply.
Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree as
well as interest and/or experience in public health.
Admission requires evidence of quantitative abilities
and a commitment to public health through previous
course work, independent study, and/or experience.
Applications should be completed online through the
Brown Graduate School website, http://gradschool.
brown.edu/go/admissions. The following materials
are required:
• The online application for admission.
• Official
transcripts for all undergraduate, graduate,
or medical school academic work and GPA.
• Three
letters of recommendation.
• Personal
statement of understanding of public health
and commitment to pursuing a career in public health.
Statement should explain the relevance of education
and/or experience to pursue a career in public health.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE): General test is
required of all applicants. Medical school graduates
applying to the MPH Program may substitute the
MCAT. Only the general GRE test is required, though
subject scores will be considered if taken.
• A $75 application fee.
14 alpert medical school
“We value and nourish our collaborations with
colleagues at local institutions, as well as those
from across the country and abroad. These
collaborations enhance our research and provide
exciting opportunities for students to learn public
health by doing public health.”
Associate Dean of Medicine for Public Health
and Public Policy Terrie Fox Wetle, pictured
with Jim Yong Kim. Dr. Kim, a Brown alumnus,
co-founder of Partners in Health, and president
of Dartmouth College, was the keynote speaker
at Brown’s 2009 Public Health Research Day.
Fin a n c i a l Ai d
M a st e r ’ s App l i ca nts
Applicants who wish to be considered for financial aid
from Brown should submit completed applications no
later than January 2 as support for financial assistance
is limited and may not be available for later applicants.
A limited number of partial scholarships and MPH
assistantships are available. Assistantships provide
a stipend and partial scholarship. Students can also
apply for loans from the Graduate School.
P hD App l i ca nts
All students admitted to the PhD program receive an
offer of funding in the form of a fellowship, teaching
assistantship, traineeship, or research assistantship.
There is no separate application for financial support.
The funding package includes tuition, health insurance,
and an annual stipend of around $26,000. Funding
is contingent upon faculty determination of satisfactory
student progress through the academic program.
Four years of financial support is the norm for those
entering with a relevant master’s degree and five
years for those entering without such a background.
Resources for Students
Lib r a r i e s
The Brown University Library provides remote access
to its holdings, including over 350 online public health
journals. Remotely searchable bibliographic databases
include Global Health, CINAHL, POPLINE, and many
interdisciplinary databases useful to public health
studies. Reference service and desktop document
delivery of interlibrary loans are provided to the Brown
community both on and off campus. Complete
information is available at:
www.brown.edu/Facilities/University_Library/
C o mp u ting
PHP students have access to a wide range of personal,
scholarly, and instructional resources through Brown’s
Computing and Information Services. In addition, the
public health building maintains a dedicated computer
teaching lab that is available for student use when
classes are not in session. The lab contains 18 desktop
computers outfitted with statistical software and Internet
access. A new master’s study area and computer work-
space is also available on the second floor of the public
health building, and all PhD candidates receive personal
workspaces and laptop computers. Wireless access
is available throughout the Brown campus. For more
information, go to:
www.brown.edu/Facilities/CIS/
H e a lth
Brown University Health Services provides primary
care, gynecological care, dermatologic care, nutrition
services, and psychological counseling. Students
requiring specialized care are referred to an appropriate
provider in the community. Those who are not covered
by a private health plan are required to purchase health
insurance offered by the University. Please visit this
website for more information:
www.brown.edu/gradschool/financing-support/
health-insurance
R e c r e ati o n
PHP students have access to the University’s many
recreational and physical education facilities, including
the Olney-Margulies Athletic Center (with an indoor
track and basketball and volleyball courts), the Pizzitola
Sports Center (with indoor tennis and squash), the
Meehan Auditorium (with a hockey/skating rink), a swim
center, weight rooms, tennis and squash courts, and
numerous playing fields. The University also offers
a variety of physical education courses and intramural
sports. A new 87,000-square-foot Aquatics and Fitness
Center is slated to open in 2011. Please visit this website
for more information:
http://www.brown.edu/Athletics/Recsports/
I nt e r n ati o n a l S t u d e nts
The PHP welcomes applications from students
graduating from institutions outside the United
States. Application procedures are the same, but
international students must also submit a TOEFL or
IELTS score with their application. For more information,
consult the Graduate School’s website:
http://gradschool.brown.edu/go/admissions
H o u sing
Providence offers a variety of affordable housing options
in the vicinity of the campus. Brown University also
leases and manages approximately 100 apartments
and homes near the campus. On-campus housing
is also available through the Office of Residential Life,
which provides dormitory space for graduate students
who wish to live on campus. For information on housing
options, visit:
http://gradschool.brown.edu/go/housing
P ub l i c h e a lt h at b r o w n u n i v e r s i t y 15
 The main green at Brown University, a popular place for relaxation and study.

Brown University and

Providence, Rhode Island
The main campus of Brown University is located on College Hill in a historic landmark
residential area overlooking the city of Providence. Established by charter from Rhode Island’s
General Assembly in 1764, Brown is the third oldest college in New England and the seventh
oldest in the country.

Emerging from a strong base in community health, the Former manufacturing facilities serve as prime space
Public Health Program draws on Brown’s 250 years for state-of-the-art research laboratories, which are
of tradition and innovation in education. Brown’s only part of the state’s booming health care industry — 
collaborative academic environment — where basic the number one job sector in the state.
scientists, applied researchers, and physicians work
For more information about applying to the Public Health
synergistically in classrooms, laboratories, and clinical
Program, please contact us at:
settings — has positioned the University as a leading
research institution. Box G-S121
Brown Public Health Program
Providence is New England’s second-largest city, with a
Providence, RI 02912
population of approximately 170,000. As the state capital,
it is the hub of Rhode Island’s business, governmental, Email: public_health@brown.edu
and cultural activities. The health care and biotech Telephone: (401) 863-2059
industries, fueled by the $180 million in outside research Fax: (401) 863-3533
funding attracted by Brown and its affiliated hospitals http://publichealth.brown.edu
each year, have transformed the landscape of the city.

16 alpert medical school

The Public Health Program is housed in an 11-story building at the foot of College Hill.
The building is a hub of public health research, teaching, and policy, and a destination
for regional and national policymakers.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Rob Pike, Lucas Foglia, Peter Goldberg, John Abromowski, Frank Mullin, Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau

11/10 2.5K
DESIGN: Orange Square (orangesquare.com)

http://publichealth.brown.edu
Public Health Program

Providence, RI 02912
(401) 863-2059
Box G-S121

Public Health