People with STIs are more likely to give birth prematurely, study finds

Having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) before or during pregnancy has been associated with a higher risk of giving birth too early, according to a new study co-authored by College of Public Health researchers.  Published November 29, 2021

Petersen comments on new state vaccine waiver law

Workers across the country are facing a Jan. 4 deadline to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or, in some cases, get tested weekly. But a new Iowa law expands workers' ability to refuse the vaccine, which could hurt efforts to end the pandemic. "If we don't have people actually get vaccinated, we're going to continue to have these pockets of people who aren't protected," said Christy Petersen, CPH professor of epidemiology. (IPR) Published November 17, 2021

Petersen urges vaccination against COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the best way to decrease the chance of severe infection and the rate of infection is through vaccination, says Christine Petersen, director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases in the UI College of Public Health. (Daily Iowan) Published November 11, 2021

COVID-19 slows progress toward ending cancer disparities

The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed cancer research and care, including screenings. If people wait until they have symptoms to get screened, the cancer may have progressed to a point where it’s harder to treat, said Mary Charlton, CPH associate professor of epidemiology. (Daily Iowan) Published November 5, 2021

Department of Epidemiology welcomes new faculty

The Department of Epidemiology this summer welcomed assistant professors Dr. Sarah Nash and Dr. Jonathan Platt to our faculty and congratulated Dr. Cara Hamann, assistant professor of epidemiology and assistant director for Training and Education at the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC), on her new role in the department.  Cara Hamann Dr. […] Published October 26, 2021

Petersen discusses crowds, COVID, and more

Christine Petersen, the director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the UI College of Public Health, recently discussed COVID-19, vaccines, crowds, and cold weather. (CBS News) Published October 21, 2021

Alumna Tala Al-Rousan studies hypertension management among refugees

Alumna Tala Al-Rousan (15MPH) is studying hypertension management among Aramaic and Arabic-speaking refugees in San Diego. Published October 20, 2021

Students inspired to study injury and violence prevention

Daniel Corry and Hannah Rochford, both PhD students in the College of Public Health, began their work addressing injury and violence issues after being inspired by real-life experiences. Read more about their stories and research with the UI Injury Prevention Research Center. Published October 11, 2021

CPH researchers find pedestrian death rates are higher for most minorities

Cara Hamann, CPH assistant professor of epidemiology, said fatal pedestrian crashes in the U.S. rose by more than 50% from 2008 to 2018. "We see pedestrian fatalities rising overall, but those increases are not equal when we look by racial group," Hamann adds. (ABC15 Arizona) Published October 7, 2021

Petersen comments on COVID testing in Iowa

The recent COVID-19 surge prompted Iowans in September to seek coronavirus tests at a rate not seen since Christmas of last year. The state also reported a 9.5% positivity rate for tests Wednesday, which shows that there's not enough testing occurring in the state, said Christine Petersen, director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the UI College of Public Health. (Des Moines Register) Published October 7, 2021