About
Health outcomes in the United States are nowhere near where they should be. A myriad of key health indicators, such as infant and maternal mortality, life expectancy, cancer survival rates, AIDS diagnoses, and more, reveal marked differences based on personal identity (e.g., race, ethnicity, sexual identity). These health inequities hurt us all, reducing our collective well-being and limiting our human potential.
The UNMC Department of Health Promotion is dedicated to addressing and improving health for all populations and partnering with communities to realize an end to inequitable health outcomes.
We believe in diversity. Our faculty is one of the most diverse within UNMC. Our diversity can be seen in our personal identities, research interests, methodological approaches, and community partners. We value context and understand the importance of recognizing the positionality of artists and subjects, students and teachers, researchers and participants, evaluator and clients, funders and grantees.
We believe in community-engaged research. Our department is united in a commitment to community. The work we do and the research we conduct is never in isolation. Rather, our projects emphasize the importance of relationships and we work together with community members, patients, health professionals, educators, policy-makers and/or representatives from other community sectors to improve population health outcomes.
Our department offers two MPH concentrations — one in health promotion and one in maternal & child health. We also offer a PhD in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, and we are working to launch exciting DrPH programs soon.
Whether you are a prospective student, research collaborator, funder, or a person who is simply interested in the work we do, I encourage you to view our faculty pages and consider how their research might align with your work and interests. Please reach out to any of us or get in contact with me personally if you have questions.
Chad Abresch, PhD
Health Promotion Chair