News Archive

• Heavy-drinking colleges showing no improvements
  (Sept. 14, 2009) — U.S. colleges with the biggest student drinking problems have so far failed to turn the tide, according to a new study.

• SPH scientist awarded $3 million NCI grant for research to predict lung cancer risk
  (Sept. 3, 2009) – University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center scientist Jian-Min Yuan, M.D., Ph.D., has been awarded a five-year grant of more than $3 million from the National Cancer Institute to continue research on tobacco byproducts expelled in the urine that can be used to predict risk of lung cancer.

• Osterholm named to Council on Foreign Relations
  (Aug. 18, 2009) — University of Minnesota professor Michael T. Osterholm, Ph.D., M.P.H.,has been elected to membership of the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
  
  
• Story honored by American Dietetic Association
  (Aug. 5, 2009) — University of Minnesota School of Public Health Professor Mary Story will receive the Medallion Award from the American Dietetic Association (ADA) in recognition of her outstanding service and leadership to ADA and the dietetics profession. Story, an internationally renowned expert in child and adolescent obesity prevention, will receive the award in October at the American Dietetic Association's Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Denver.
  
  
• Study IDs risk factors of disordered eating among overweight youth
  (July 29, 2009) — University of Minnesota Project Eating Among Teens (EAT) researchers have identified factors that may increase overweight adolescents’ risk of engaging in extreme weight control behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, the use of diet pills, laxatives, and diuretics, as well as binge eating.
  
  
• SPH Offers New Executive Programs in Healthcare Administration
  (July 23, 2009) — The University of Minnesota’s highly ranked Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A.) degree is now available in a flexible online format for health care executives, physicians, and other health care professionals.
  
  
• Smoking bans do not cause job losses
  (May 19, 2009) — University of Minnesota and Ohio State University researchers have found that smoking bans do not have a significant impact on bar and restaurant employment. Though the economic effects of smoking bans have been studied in many individual communities, this is the first analysis to compare the economic effects of various smoking ban policies in multiple cities.
  
  
• Eating burned meat increases risk of pancreatic cancer
  (April 22, 2009) — People who regularly eat very well-done red meat that is burned or charred may increase their risk of pancreatic cancer by almost 60 percent, according to a study by a University of Minnesota cancer researcher.
  
  
• Direct link between smoking, lung cancer found
  (April 20, 2009) — Researchers at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota have discovered a direct link between a cancer-causing compound in tobacco and the development of lung cancer in some smokers. This is the first time a direct link between smoking and lung cancer in humans has been identified.
  
  
• Safer Handling of Fluorescent Lamps Needed
  (April 14, 2009) — Researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health found most containers employed for storage and transportation of used fluorescent lamps to recycling centers do not provide necessary levels of protection against mercury vapors emitted from broken lamps.

  The release of mercury vapors, which can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin, presents an environmental and occupational hazard for workers involved with handling and transport. Mercury is a toxic chemical that can lead to neurological damage. The results of the study were published in a recent issue of the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.
  
  

• Research finds large increase in fast-food intake among teens
  (March 30, 2009) — University of Minnesota Project Eating Among Teens (EAT) researcher Katherine Bauer, M.S., found a significant increase in the amount of fast food that adolescents are eating today compared with the late 1990s. She also discovered increases in the amount of fast food the adolescents ate as they moved from middle school to high school, and in male adolescents as they moved from high school into young adulthood.
  
  
• Study: New approach need to govern nanotechnology risks
  (March 5, 2009) — In order for the potential health risks associated with nanotechnology to be properly assessed, the current regulatory system in the U.S. must be changed. That’s the conclusion of a new paper, published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science and Technology, by researchers from the University of Minnesota and the University of British Columbia.

  Nanomaterials are designed at the molecular level to have special properties, such as enhanced heat conductivity or strength, that are very different from the bulk forms of the same material. Thus, they have many promising applications, from handheld electronic devices to drug delivery techniques. However, because of the tiny size and distinctive qualities of nanomaterials, concern exists about their potential to damage the environment and the human body.
  
  

• Study finds high numbers of military personnel engage in binge drinking
  (Feb. 12, 2009) — Binge drinking is common among active-duty military personnel and is strongly associated with many health and social problems, including problems with job performance and alcohol-impaired driving, according to a new study released by the University of Minnesota and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  
  
• School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study: ‘Much room for improvement’
  (Feb. 1, 2009) — A special Supplement to the February 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association presents findings from the recently released Third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study (SNDA-III), conducted by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., as well as research from other studies using SNDA-III data. Sponsored by the Food and Nutrition Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), SNDA-III assesses the quality and contributions of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP), longstanding government efforts to bring good food to the children of America.
  
  
• Interprofessional research team to study nursing care for heart patients
  (Jan. 5, 2009 ) — With the support of a $300,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, School Public Health, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at Minneapolis and Palo Alto, Calif., are teaming up to study better ways to care for heart failure patients.
  
  
• Stressful life events can lead to disordered eating in teens
  (Nov. 24, 2008) — Young adults and older adolescents facing stressful life events are far more likely to engage in disordered-eating behaviors, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. As a result, researchers suggest health care providers, school counselors, and others who work with adolescents screen for disordered-eating behavior when an adolescent reports experiencing a stressful life event.
  
  
• U.S. electrical supply vulnerable to next pandemic
  (Nov. 20, 2008) — Reliable mining and delivery of coal, which generates nearly half the nation’s electricity, must be safeguarded to keep water and sewerage systems running, lights on, and vaccine and critical drugs available during an inevitable pandemic, according to a new University of Minnesota report.
  
  
• Osterholm named to Pandemics Global Agenda Council
  (Nov. 11, 2008) — Michael T. Osterholm has been appointed to the Pandemics Global Agenda Council, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
  
  
• Riley Named Interim Executive Director of PHAB
  The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) has named School of Public Health (SPH) professor and associate dean William Riley interim executive director. PHAB is a non-profit consortium of heads of local public health agencies whose mission is to develop, promote and oversee quality standards for public health agencies at the municipal, state, and federal levels.
  
  
• HIV may also lead to non-AIDS dieseases
  (Oct. 20, 2008) — After analyzing deaths on a large international trial of treatments for HIV-positive patients, University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers have found a strong association between certain protein levels and increased risk of death from non-AIDS diseases such as cardiovascular problems and renal failure.
  
  
• SPH establish emergency preparedness research center
  (Oct. 8, 2008) — The University of Minnesota School of Public Health was awarded more than $1.5 million by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center. The University of Minnesota was one of seven schools nationwide to be awarded a grant, which will allocate $8.2 million to the School of Public Health over five years.
  
  
• Swackhamer to lead EPA panel on regulations
  (Sept. 17, 2008 ) — Deborah Swackhamer, an internationally recognized expert on toxic chemicals in freshwater lakes and rivers from the University of Minnesota, has been appointed as chair of the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Stephen Johnson, administrator, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced today.
  
  
• Homosexuals' negative feelings about sexuality predict poor mental, sexual health
  (Sept. 17, 2008) — Researchers at the University of Minnesota have published a study showing that the degree of internalized homonegativity (negative attitude towards homosexuality) among homosexual men is what predicts poor mental and sexual health — not the act of being homosexual.
  
  
• Study: Easy for minors, intoxicated fans to buy alcohol at pro sporting events
  (Aug. 19, 2008) — In a novel study looking at the propensity of illegal alcohol sales at sports stadiums, University of Minnesota researchers reported that nearly one in five people posing as underage drinkers, and three out of four seemingly intoxicated “fans,” were able to buy alcohol at professional sporting events. They also found that location mattered: Sales were more likely if the attempt took place in the stadium stands rather than at a concession booth.
  
  
• Abraham appointed to President’s Council of Economic Advisers
  (July 8, 2008) — University of Minnesota School of Public Health professor Jean Abraham, Ph.D., has been selected as one of ten senior staff economists to serve on the President¿s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). Abraham and her fellow staff economists, as a part of the CEA, will provide the president and other government departments and agencies with the best, current academic thinking on a wide range of subjects.
  
  
• Disrupted rest, activity linked to mortality in older men
  (June 11, 2008) — It appears that disrupted rest and activity rhythms are associated with increased mortality rates among older men, according to new University of Minnesota research.
  
  
• Internet, tolerance spark change in urban gay communities
  (June 9, 2008) — Gay communities — such as clubs, bars, events and neighborhoods — appear to be changing worldwide in light of several key factors, including Internet dating and achievement of civil rights, according to new University of Minnesota research.
  
  
• Parents not helpful at encouraging overweight children to eat a healthy diet
  (June 2, 2008) — Parents who accurately perceived their teens as overweight were still unlikely to help them engage in healthy eating and exercise behaviors. In fact, many of these parents encouraged dieting, which predicted poorer weight outcomes for their teen five years later.
  
  
• Blood test reveals risk for metabolic syndrome
  (May 20, 2008) — University of Minnesota researchers have discovered that people with high oxidation levels of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle that carries cholesterol throughout the blood are much more likely to develop metabolic syndrome — which can lead to a considerably increased risk of developing heart disease.
  
  
• Dicklich named co-chair of Minnesota lung health partnership
  (May 16, 2008) — Iron Range native and former state senator Ron Dicklich will co-chair the University of Minnesota-led Taconite Workers Lung Health Partnership, a coalition of individuals, organizations, and agencies interested in protecting the health of the state’s taconite mine workers. The senator represented Minnesota’s Fifth Senate District, which includes St. Louis County, from 1981-1992.
  
  
• Online intervention paramount for reducing HIV
  (April 29, 2008) — Young Internet-using men who have sex with men and who meet their sexual partners both online and offline have greater numbers of partners, appear more likely to contract HIV, and report higher substance use rates than those who meet their partners exclusively online or offline, according to new research at the University of Minnesota.
  
  
• Alcohol marketing higher in African American neighborhoods
  (April 2, 2008) -- It appears that living in a poor neighborhood with a high concentration of African Americans is associated with greater alcohol availability and promotion -- especially malt liquor -- according to a recent study by University of Minnesota researchers.
  
  
• Many teens, young adults eat fast food more than 3 times a week
  (March 19, 2008) -- University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers found that more than 20 percent of adolescent males and females frequently consume fast food--that is, more than three times per week.
  
  
• U of M program fear of flu with preparation
  (March 17, 2008) -- An innovative program at the University of Minnesota is helping Minnesotans prepare for public health events and natural disasters.
  
  
• Teens who eat breakfast daily are healthier
  (March 3, 2008) -- University of Minnesota School of Public Health Project Eating Among Teens (EAT) researchers have found further evidence to support the importance of encouraging youth to eat breakfast regularly.
  
  
• Alcohol prevention programs needed for 'tweens'
  (Feb. 26, 2008) -- A study by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and the University of Florida suggests that "tweens" should receive alcohol prevention programs prior to sixth grade, when nearly one in six children are already alcohol users.
  
  
• Training effective in managing urinary incontinence
  (Feb. 14, 2008) -- University of Minnesota researchers have found that many urinary incontinence (UI) management techniques -- including drugs and mechanical devices -- are ineffective. A new systematic review of published studies on non-surgical management of UI in women found that pelvic floor muscle training plus bladder training resolved urinary incontinence.
  
  
• Minnesota rates of uninsurance stabilize following earlier increases
  After rising between 2001 and 2004, the percentage of Minnesotans without health insurance was stable between 2004 and 2007, according to the results of a new survey by the Minnesota Department of Health and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. An estimated 7.2 percent of Minnesotans, or about 374,000 people, were uninsured in 2007.
  
  
• Fried Food, Diet Soda Increase Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
  (Jan. 21, 2008) -- University of Minnesota researchers found that otherwise-healthy adults who eat two or more servings of meat a day -- the equivalent of two burger patties -- increase their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 25 percent compared with those who eat meat twice a week, according to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
  
  
• 2nd Annual PSA Contest Opens
  (Jan. 3, 2008) -- The University of Minnesota School of Public Health is conducting its second annual "It's Global" Public Service Announcement (PSA) contest. School of Public Health (SPH) officials hope it will attract talented novice and seasoned filmmakers from across the country and beyond.
  
  
• Disordered Eating Less Common
  in Girls Who Eat Meals with Family
  (Jan. 8, 2008) -- Adolescent girls who frequently eat meals with their families appear less likely to use diet pills, laxatives, or other extreme measures to control their weight five years later, according to research led by Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., lead investigator of Project Eating Among Teens (Project EAT) at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
  
  
• Jacko to Lead U's New Health Informatics Institute
  (Dec. 11, 2007) -- Julie A. Jacko, Ph.D., has been named director of the Institute for Health Informatics at the University of Minnesota's Academic Health Center. The institute was developed as a new interdisciplinary program to improve the quality and efficiency of health care and clinical research through research and education in health informatics.
  
  
• Food, Not Specific Nutrients,
  May Be Key to a Healthy Diet
  Food, Not Specific Nutrients, Key to Healthy Diet
  
  
• Our Community Partners
  The School of Public Health Honors it 2007 Community Partners Star Award Recipients. View the video and learn more about our community partners.
  
  
• U Chosen for Largest Ever Children's Health Study
  (Oct. 4, 2007) -- The University of Minnesota has been awarded nearly $14 million over five years to be a lead study center in the National Children's Study to assess the effects of environmental and genetic factors on child and human health in the United States.
  
  
• Study Links Alcohol Ads to Youth Drinking
  (July 2, 2007) -- Adolescents who attend schools in neighborhoods where alcohol advertisements are prominent experience heightened intentions to drink, a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota and the University of Florida discovered.
  
  
• Medication Errors Can Be Reduced With Computer Order System
  (June 27, 2007) -- The incidence of medication errors can be reduced by implementing a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system, according to a review of several studies conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota.
  
  
• Young Men More Willing to Purchase Alcohol for Underage Youth
  (June 25, 2007) -- Nearly 20 percent of young males are willing to purchase alcohol for underage youth when approached outside of an alcohol establishment, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
  
  
• Swackhamer wins Harvey G. Rogers Award
  (June 18, 2007) -- The Minnesota Public Health Association (MPHA) has awarded Deborah L. Swackhamer, Ph.D., interim director of the University of Minnesota's new Institute on the Environment and professor in the School of Public Health's division of Environmental Health Sciences, the Harvey G. Rogers award for 2007.
  
  
• U Launches State Health Reform Evaluation Program
  (April 30, 2007) -- The University of Minnesota School of Public Health today announced the opening of a new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Program Office to support the evaluation of state health reform efforts nationwide.
  
  
• Study Shows No Link Between Weighing and Depression in Women
  (April 25, 2007) -- Frequent self-weighing is not associated with depression in women, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
  
  
• Physical Activity Reduces Hypertension Risk in Young Adults
  (April 12, 2007) -- Young adults who spend more time participating in physical activity have a reduced risk of developing high blood pressure within the next 15 years, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota.
  
  
• MHA Program Ranked No. 2 by U.S. News
  (April 3, 2007) -- The Master of Healthcare Administration Program (MHA) at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health ranked second in this year's U.S. News and World Report ranking of healthcare management programs.
  
  
• U Awarded $22.5 Million to Study Avian Flu
  (April 2, 2007) -- The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today named the University of Minnesota as one of six sites across the country that will establish a Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance.
  
  
• SPH Study: Teens Become Less Active as they Grow Older
  (Feb. 19, 2007) -- As they grow older, teenagers are spending more time in front of the computer and television and less time participating in physical activities, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
  
  
• It's Global. Public Health Film Contest
  (Feb. 21, 2007) -- The University of Minnesota School of Public Health is calling for entries into its "It's Global" filmmaking competition that will be part of the events associated with the National Public Health Week Film Festival to be held in Minneapolis, Minn., April 2-6, 2007.
  
  
• Most Minnesota Physicians Support Single-Payer Health Insurance
  Nearly two-thirds of Minnesota physicians believe a single-payer universal health insurance system would provide the best value for Minnesota patients, according to research done by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and the Universal Health Care Action Network-MN.
  
  
• Simulation Safety Project Receives National Recognition
  (Jan. 5, 2007) -- The Institute for Healthcare Improvement has named a study led by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Fairview Health Services as one of the Top 10 Improvement Ideas of 2006.
  
  
• U of M Supports Statewide Smoking Ban
  The University of Minnesota Academic Health Center and its School of Public Health are encouraging University students, faculty, and staff to show their support for a statewide smoking ban by rallying at the State Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 30., 2007.
  
  
• Frequent Weighing Predictor of Unhealthy Behaviors
  (Dec. 5, 2006) -- Teenage girls who weigh themselves frequently are more likely to binge eat and participate in unhealthy weight control behaviors in the future, according to new research from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
  
  
• Personal Activity Increases while Workplace Activity Declines
  (Nov. 21, 2006) -- Twin Cities residents are getting the majority of their physical activity through personal lifestyle activities such as yardwork, cleaning, and leisure-time physical activities--such as walking, running, or biking, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
  
  
• SPH Receives $3.4 Million to Study Causes of Childhood Obesity
  (Oct. 20, 2006) -- A team of University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers has received a five-year $3.43 million grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to examine the spectrum of causes of childhood obesity. The Etiology of Childhood Obesity (ECHO) study will be one of the first to consider obesity risk factors at the individual, family, school, and neighborhood levels.
  
  
• Initiative to Help Develop Pandemic Flu Best Practices
  (Oct. 18, 2006) - State and local health departments will soon get additional help preparing for a potential pandemic influenza through a partnership announced today between The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota. CIDRAP is one of the nation's leading centers of scholarship and action on public health and pandemic flu.
  
  
• Teens dissatisfied with their bodies at higher risk for weight gain, poor health
  (August 9, 2006) -- Adolescents who feel dissatisfied with their bodies are at higher risk for future binge eating, smoking, poor eating, and decreased physical activity, according to new research from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
  
  
• SPH in the News for the Month of November 2008
  SPH in the News for the Month of November 2008
  
  
• 'Beautiful People' Wins Public Health PSA Contest
  (April 5, 2007) -- The University of Minnesota School of Public Health is pleased to announce the winners of the ¿It¿s Global¿ film-making competition. The contest is a part of the National Public Health Week Film Festival held in Minneapolis, Minn., April 2-6.
  
  
• SPH in the News for the Week of March 12
  Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Rosalie Kane, Emily Parker, Michael Osterholm
  
  
• SPH in the News for the Week of Jan. 29
  Nicole Larson and Mike Osterholm.
  
  
• SPH in the News for the Week of Jan. 1
  SPH in the News for the Week of Jan. 1
  
  
• SPH in the News for the Week of Dec. 25
  SPH in the News for the Week of Dec. 25
  
  
• SPH in the News for the Week of Dec. 18
  SPH in the News for the Week of Dec. 18
  
  
• SPH in the News for the Week of Dec. 11
  SPH in the News for the Week of Dec. 11
  
  
• Minnesota Medical Foundation Names CEO, President
  (July 25, 2006) -- Elizabeth A. Malkerson has been named president and chief executive officer by the board of trustees of the Minnesota Medical Foundation, effective August 28, 2006. Malkerson will work with the board to implement the foundation's strategic goals, including increasing sustained philanthropy from $55 million in fiscal year 2006 to $100 million annually within five years.
  
  
• Regents Approve New Healthcare Administration Degree Program
  (July 20, 2006) -- On Wednesday, July 12, the University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved a new academic program in healthcare administration to be offered by the University's School of Public Health. The new program will serve healthcare professionals in Rochester and surrounding communities.
  
  
• Program Prepares State Hospitals for Public Health Emergencies
  (July 19, 2006) -- The University of Minnesota School of Nursing and School of Public Health are holding a one-day workshop to teach regional hospital first-receivers how to care for patients during public health and bio-terrorism emergencies.
  
  
• Study: Routine CRP Screening has Little Value
  (July 10, 2006) -- Routinely screening for C-Reactive Proteins (CRP) and performing other novel tests has little value when assessing risk for coronary heart disease, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
  
  
• Wanted: Families for U of M Obesity Study
  (May 31, 2006) -- The University of Minnesota School of Public Health is recruiting local families with children to participate in a study examining how changes in household environments can prevent weight gain and obesity.
  
  
• School to help Minnesota Prepare for Pandemic
  Two Emergency Readiness Rounds for health professionals offered at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus and via Web cast.
  
  
• It Shouldn't Be This Way - Media Kit
  It Shouldn't Be This Way - Media Kit
  
  
• Bruininks Scholarship Match
  Bruininks Scholarship Match