Educating Outside the Box
Building Bridges to a Brighter Future
The vision of the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego is to create and promote public health innovations. By transcending the traditional boundaries of academia, the school connects innovative education, leading research and community experts to address challenges through impactful projects and hands-on learning experiences.
The bachelor’s program lays the groundwork for education about 21st century public health challenges and knowledge that is extended in the master’s programs. The school also offers doctoral training in biostatistics, epidemiology, global health and health behavior, with a soon-to-be-initiated program in health services research and implementation science. The General Preventive Medicine Residency program is nationally acclaimed and is a unique strength for the school.
“Over the last academic year, many things have occurred within our world that have impacted how we approach education. We sometimes find ourselves creating experiences for our students, and every now and then we get a natural experiment that allows our students to engage in things that are truly historic and landmark for training in a discipline like public health,” said Cheryl A.M. Anderson, Ph.D., M.P.H., founding dean of the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and the inaugural Hood Family Endowed Dean’s Chair in Public Health.
Cheryl A.M. Anderson, Ph.D., M.P.H., dean
“Every now and then we get a natural experiment that allows our students to engage in things that are truly historic and landmark for training in a discipline like public health.”
– Cheryl A.M. Anderson, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Groundbreaking PhD in Health Services Research and Implementation Science
In the 2023-2024 academic year, a new Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health program, which includes a concentration in health services research and implementation science, was established and will launch in fall 2025.
Health services research identifies public health needs and then develops and evaluates solutions. Implementation science is a bridge between research and practice that applies evidence-based interventions in real-world settings to impact communities and individuals who need them most.
“Imagine developing a promising intervention to make preventive care much more accessible to the public, only to find out that health care systems are not adopting it widely,” said Kimberly Brouwer, Ph.D., professor and associate dean for education and student affairs. “Training our students in implementation science in addition to health service research will equip them with powerful skills to ensure public health interventions end up benefiting our communities.”
The new doctoral program complements the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health existing bachelor’s, masters’, and doctorate programs and the general preventive medicine residency. Since 2020, more than 1,700 students have graduated with public health degrees at UC San Diego, empowering aspiring public health professionals to nurture their passion, contribute to meaningful change and evolve into leaders who foster positive health outcomes for communities at local, national and global levels.
Kimberly Brouwer, Ph.D., associate dean for education and student affairs
Bachelor of Science in Public Health
Laying the foundation for careers in public health
The Bachelor of Science in Public Health program offers seven majors within a comprehensive curriculum that foster an enriched environment for learning, growth and foundation building. Students can pursue a bachelor’s degree with concentrations in biostatistics, climate and environmental sciences, community health sciences, epidemiology, health policy and management sciences, and medical sciences.
The program began in fall 2013, offering the two program courses, “Introduction to Public Health,” taught by Anderson, and “Primary Care and Public Health,” taught by Michelle Johnson, M.D., UC San Diego School of Medicine professor. Since then, the program, including course offerings, faculty and students, has grown rapidly. There are now 1,480 undergraduate alumni, including 235 students who graduated during the 2023-2024 academic year.
“The Bachelor of Science in Public Health program has grown much faster than any of us anticipated; this is seen in the number of students taking our courses, and the number of majors we have,” said Britta Larsen, Ph.D., associate professor and program director. “As the only undergraduate major housed within UC San Diego Health Sciences, and with our close ties to the medical school, we have also become an extremely popular major for students planning to go on to careers in the medical field.”
Larsen said that while the bachelor’s program is thrilled to see the growth, they are also taking steps to ensure that it remains an excellent educational experience.
The program also offers a supplemental honors practicum for students who are looking to challenge themselves and tackle real-world problems affecting students and local communities. The honors practicum includes a two-quarter course sequence that accepted students complete in their senior year.
Britta Larsen, Ph.D., program director
Joseph Sadiki, BSPH ‘24
The goal of the program is to provide students with an intensive applied public health experience and an opportunity to develop skills to successfully apply for jobs and graduate training.
Joseph Sadiki enrolled in the honors practicum program to challenge himself. Sadiki, who graduated from the bachelor’s program in 2024 with a concentration in epidemiology and was a commencement student speaker, wanted to push the limits of his public health knowledge and be a part of something bigger.
“We learn in different ways; one of the ways is through application, that’s how we are able to retain most of the information that we learn. This program is great for that,” said Sadiki. “Through the program, you are applying what you have been learning for the last four years to create real-world change. It’s not just learning for the sake of graduating, but you are leaving a mark … something that will vibrate even after you graduate.”
This emphasis on practical application is a cornerstone of the program, ensuring that students not only gain knowledge but also develop the skills to make an impact.
“Public health is a field that wants to give everyone a seat at the table and make all voices heard,” said Larsen. “Our students see a field of study that speaks to them and their personal experiences and values, and that empowers them to create solutions.”
Master of Public Health
Blazing the path to public health practice
The Master of Public Health (MPH) program, which launched in 2018, stands as a vital bridge in post-secondary education, guiding students on the path of core public health disciplines. It now offers six concentration categories including epidemiology, health behavior, public mental health, technology and precision health, health policy, and general public health. Since its establishment, the program has graduated 149 students, including 31 in the 2023-2024 academic year.
This program also includes a student practicum, which provides all graduate students the opportunity to participate in a field-based or population-based public health experience. Practicum sites can include community-based organizations or local, state, federal or international public health agencies.
“Public health involves applying technical skills focused on population health — thus the need for graduate training — in community settings. Working effectively in communities also depends on public health professionals understanding and relating to those communities,” said Michael Pratt, M.D., M.S.P.E., M.P.H., professor and program director.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, Nina Weisbrod was a second-year MPH student who took a unique approach to her practicum project, combining a passion for music with a love of public health and public health policies designed to lessen the negative social and physical consequences associated with various human behaviors.
Michael Pratt, M.D., M.S.P.E., M.P.H., program director
Nina Weisbrod, M.P.H., ’24
Weisbrod, who graduated in 2024 with a concentration in public mental health, planned an entirely donation-based electronic dance music (EDM) fundraiser show in January 2024. All the proceeds from the show supported the non-profit End Overdose, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization working to end drug-related overdose deaths through education, medical intervention and public awareness.
The capstone and the practicum are her favorite parts of the program. She said her experience writing grants and helping build community connections were invaluable pieces of her education.
“I’m a hands-on learner who prefers to work directly with the community. This practicum project is really important and has real world, hands-on experience … and has been directly applicable to the career I want to pursue after graduation,” said Weisbrod.
“My work in harm reduction is what has allowed me to combine both public health and music. My goals are to spread the word in the San Diego music scene about getting certified to administer Naloxone … and to give back to the community.”
“This practicum project is really important and has real world, hands-on experience … and has been directly applicable to the career I want to pursue after graduation.”
– Nina Weisbrod, M.P.H., ’24
Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health
Bridging classroom training to community health challenges
The UC San Diego – San Diego State University Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, offers three tracks: epidemiology, health behavior and global health. Since 1990, the program has graduated 220 students, including 10 students in the 2023-2024 academic year.
Additionally, the program has three National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 fellowship opportunities available to predoctoral students and postdoctoral researchers. With direct integrations of the NIH T32 predoctoral training grant program in data science for behavioral health with computer science and engineering, the Joint Doctoral Program is on the forefront of cross-disciplinary collaboration.
These fellowship opportunities not only provide significant research and training prospects, but also exemplify the program’s commitment to fostering academic excellence and innovation. The achievements of graduates further highlight its impact on public health and cross-disciplinary studies.
Recent graduates accepted new positions in academia, including at Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA; as well as jobs with the NIH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Navy, San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, and in a health care business consulting firm.
Dina M. Hamideh, M.S., Ph.D., graduated in 2024 and was awarded the Public Health Dissertation Award for her work, “The ‘pressure’ of being an adolescent in Palestine: the relationship of psychosocial factors on blood pressure and feasibility of mobile health adoption living under military occupation.” Hamideh’s prior career and past research revolved around translational science, which focuses on the intersections of a research population’s environment, their behaviors and genetics, and how those factors relate to potential outcomes.
Dina M. Hamideh, M.S., Ph.D., ’24
Dina M. Hamideh, M.S., Ph.D., ’24
During preliminary research, Hamideh observed an elevated prevalence of hypertension, a condition where blood pressure is consistently higher than normal, in Palestinians aged 13 to 17 years old. She felt it was her duty to investigate, understand and help.
“If we can understand what is going on within stressful conditions and how this population is surviving, we can learn about many other populations as well as what factors may contribute to resilience and being able to continue through adversity,” said Hamideh.
She found that rates of hypertension increased in youths living in Palestine, specifically with refugee youth who were displaced and living under political unrest.
As a second layer to her research, Hamideh sought to work with nongovernmental organizations to create mobile health care units for Palestinian communities and refugee camps.
Throughout the process, Hamideh said that her research experience in the doctoral program allowed her to connect and collaborate with not only international populations, but also An-Najah National University, refugee camps and community partners.
“I feel that this project has led to foundational steps for building boots-on-the-ground training for populations in refugee camps, villages and also collaborating to build interventions together,” she said. “Institutions cannot just be local. We need institutions abroad and institutions abroad need us.”
Hamideh said her training in the Joint Doctoral Program required dedication, drive and a healthy dose of self-sufficiency. She said that the program helped her grow her analytical research knowledge base via high-level statistical analysis during her dissertation.
She hopes to continue her work, helping bridge nongovernmental organizations and academia.
Graduate Programs in Biostatistics
The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health launched the Master of Science in Biostatistics in 2019 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Biostatistics in 2016. Since then, 45 students have graduated, including 15 students with doctorates and 31 with master’s degrees. Additionally, in the 2023-2024 academic year, the master’s program grew by 109%.
The doctoral program combines both theoretical and practical approaches, which help bridge and integrate real-world scenarios and hands-on learning.
During the first two years, doctoral students complete foundational courses in mathematical statistics and biostatistics with additional electives in life sciences and computer science. While the program is steadily expanding, faculty, academics and staff remain committed to supporting students’ academic and professional development.
The Master of Science in Biostatistics involves training in biostatistics methods and data analysis, and includes theoretical and applied classroom work in core biostatistics courses, with additional electives in the life sciences. The core courses incorporate classroom projects in data analysis pertinent to biomedical data and introduce literate programming and reproducible research practices.
Ronghui (Lily) Xu, Ph.D., professor
Students in Ronghui (Lily) Xu’s mixed major class.
“Biostatistics has always been an indispensable part of public health research and education,” said Ronghui (Lily) Xu, Ph.D., professor. “The demand for biostatistics has been nonstop since the ‘90s when I started in this field and is ever stronger today.”
Xu said that quite a few graduates of the program go on to academia, noting that some have recently been present and active at national conferences. She also said that the biostatistics program makes concerted efforts for students to build connections.
“We host yearly events including a fall and spring social, monthly student gatherings as well as student lunches with speakers before the monthly seminars and a yearly faculty retreat.”
The biostatistics program attracts students with diverse educational backgrounds. Graduates go to change the world for the better, tackling public health challenges as data analysts in health-related fields including pharmaceuticals, clinical research and academia.
“The demand for biostatistics has been nonstop since the ‘90s when I started in this field and is ever stronger today.”
– Ronghui (Lily) Xu, Ph.D.
Preventive Medicine Residency
Through rotations at UC San Diego Health and other community health programs, the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health establishes a connection to medicine via the General Preventive Medicine Residency program. This program, jointly sponsored by UC San Diego and San Diego State University, offers access to both academic and clinical medical resources. Residents participate in practicum rotations that train them in three key areas: clinical preventive medicine, population-based medicine and research.
Residents meet the clinical preventive medicine requirements of the specialty through training at many clinical sites that serve underserved populations, immigrants and refugees. These sites include community health centers and student health centers at local colleges and universities. Preventive medicine clinical training also emphasizes lifestyle medicine and other approaches to primary prevention that align with public health.
In addition, residents spend time with the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency. This experience fosters core competencies in public health, enabling residents to acquire knowledge and hands-on experience in a wide array of public health services. Other components of the population-based rotation encompass activities such as surveillance, population-based interventions, outbreak investigation, contact investigation, grant proposal writing, needs assessment, program planning, community interventions and quality improvement.
“Preventive medicine as a medical specialty has been one of the best kept secrets of the medical profession, but our connection to public health has always been strong,” said Jill Waalen, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., F.A.C.P.M., director of the UC San Diego – San Diego State University General Preventive Medicine Residency program.
“As the need for a bridge between medicine and public health has become more apparent, appreciation for the specialty seems to be growing. The specialty’s championing of lifestyle medicine has also contributed to greater awareness of the importance of prevention in the practice of medicine.”
Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health 2024 commencement.
