Research Overview

Areas of research and academic emphasis include smoking cessation and prevention, alcohol/drug abuse and dependence, health communication, mental health, community development and empowerment, obesity, public health program evaluation, and youth risk behaviors. Sources of funding and grants include DHHS, CDC, ASPH, Legacy, SAMHSA, ACS, Pfizer, Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the Iowa Attorney General. The Department currently administers four centers of research and practice, and three graduate degree programs.

Iowa Tobacco Research Center

The mission of the Iowa Tobacco Research Center (ITRC) is to promote health and reduce illness and death in Iowa, the Midwest, the nation, and the world through commitment to innovative research and education on tobacco use and prevention, as well as provision and support of culturally-competent and accessible smoking cessation services.

Prairielands Addiction Technology Transfer Center

The mission of Prairielands Addiction Technology Transfer Center is to disseminate and enhance adoption of empirically supported assessment and treatment methods to its five state region: Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The Center focuses on issues related to women and substance abuse, substance abuse in persons with co-occurring mental health disorders, substance abuse among Native Americans and among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons.

University of Iowa Prevention Research Center

The University of Iowa Prevention Research Center (UI PRC) is a CDC Prevention Research Center with the theme of improving health in rural communities. Initiated in October 2002, the UI PRC began working with community leaders in Sigourney, Iowa, a rural community in Keokuk County. The initial demonstration project is intended to improve the community's eating and exercise habits through a variety of intervention activities throughout the year.

Center for Health Communication and Social Marketing

The mission of the Center for Health Communication and Social Marketing (HCSM) is to promote innovative, theory- and data-driven communication research to address today’s public health challenges through participation in interdisciplinary, collaborative, community-based projects and the training of graduate students in the Health Communication subtracks in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health (MPH, MS, PhD) and other health communication students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Department of Communication Studies.