phd global health new york

School of Global Public Health

Our mission, the history of public health at nyu.

The School of Global Public Health (GPH) has a bold vision - to significantly improve the health of populations by pioneering solutions that advance health equity around the world, today and tomorrow.  That vision reflects a core belief that global health is not merely a field of study, area of research, or a career, but a goal that will change the world. Achieving grand goals requires both seriousness of purpose and willingness to take action, and at NYU, we believe that investing in committed people and essential resources will bring us closer to addressing the global health problems of today and tomorrow.

The NYU School of Global Public Health crosses disciplinary boundaries to address the world’s most pressing health problems. Drawing on our interdisciplinary faculty and staff, GPH delivers truly interdisciplinary public health education at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral level.

NYU GPH builds on NYU’s expansive reach as a globally-networked university; draws strength from the entrepreneurial spirit of our many talented faculty, students, staff, and alumni; and serves as a conduit for groundbreaking research and education that advances and promotes equitable health for all.

While NYU has granted degrees in public health for over 40 years, GPH is young with big aspirations. Our mission is to reinvent the public health paradigm by inspiring innovative scholarship, practice and leadership across boundaries.

It has been said that New York City is “where the future comes to audition.” Unbound by tradition, and much like the innovative and enterprising city in which our home campus resides, our school seeks to reinvent the public health paradigm by applying entrepreneurial approaches to public health crises.

In the five short years since the NYU Board of Trustees established the School of Global Public Health, we’ve expanded our programs, successfully earned accreditation, and graduated over 2000 public health professionals. With innovation in public health urgently needed around the world, the creation of our school could not have been more timely. Thanks to each one of you for your contributions to our school; our collective efforts are needed now more than ever.

The story of the study of public health at New York University began over 90 years ago when, in 1931, health courses were first offered in the School of Education. Course by course, degree by degree, the public health program gathered multi-disciplinary strength as it evolved across colleges from one end of our campus to the other.

• Bioethics (MA)
• Biostatistics (MS)
• Epidemiology (MS)
• Public Health (Advanced Certificate)
• Public Health (DPH)
• Public Health (MPH)
• Public Health (PhD)
• Public Health Data Science (Advanced Certificate)
• Public Health Disaster Science, Policy and Practice (Advanced Certificate)
• Public Health Nutrition (Advanced Certificate)

Accreditation

The School of Global Public Health at New York University is proud to have been granted full accreditation as a School of Public Health by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) through 2024. 

The final  GPH Accreditation Self-Study  was developed with active participation from a collaborative group of faculty, staff, students, alumni and other stakeholders.

CEPH’s final report can be found  here . To visit CEPH’s website, click  here .

Academic Units:

Moaz Abdelwadoud Visiting Assistant Professor Global Health Programs, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic), University of Kentucky

David Abrams Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Rutgers University-New Brunswick

David Abramson Clinical Associate Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Columbia University

Mari Armstrong-Hough Assistant Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Duke University

Jin Bae Visiting Associate Professor Public Health Policy and Management, College of Global Public Health Juris Doctor (J.D.), Harvard University

Stephanie Beardman Visiting Assistant Professor Bioethics (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Professional)

Rebecca Betensky Professor Academic Affairs (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Stanford University

Jo Ivey Boufford Clinical Professor Global Health Programs, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Jennifer Cantrell Assistant Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Columbia University in the City of New York

Jack Caravanos Clinical Professor Global Health Programs, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Professional), Columbia University in the City of New York

Virginia W Chang Associate Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Ji Chang Assistant Professor Public Health Policy and Management, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), New York University

Janice Chisholm Visiting Assistant Professor Public Health Policy and Management, College of Global Public Health

Rumi Chunara Associate Professor Biostatistics, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Linda Collins Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health

Stephanie Cook Assistant Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Professional), Columbia University in the City of New York

Christiana Coyle Visiting Associate Professor Epidemiology (CGPH), College of Global Public Health

Adolfo Cuevas Assistant Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health

Amy Davidow Visiting Associate Professor Biostatistics, College of Global Public Health

Andrea L Deierlein Associate Professor Public Health Nutrition, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Don Des Jarlais Professor Epidemiology (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Christopher Dickey Clinical Associate Professor Academic Affairs (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic), Columbia University in the City of New York

Ralph Diclemente Professor Academic Affairs (CGPH), College of Global Public Health

Joshua Epstein Professor Epidemiology (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Karyn E Faber Clinical Assistant Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Yang Feng Associate Professor Biostatistics, College of Global Public Health

Daniel Fogal Assistant Professor Bioethics (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), New York University

Furr-Holden Professor College of Global Public Health, College of Global Public Health

Robyn Gershon Clinical Professor Epidemiology (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Johns Hopkins University

Emily Goldmann Clinical Associate Professor Epidemiology (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Melody Goodman Professor Biostatistics, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Harvard University

Kate Guastaferro Assistant Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health

Holly Hagan Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Erez Hatna Clinical Associate Professor Epidemiology (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Tel Aviv University

Cheryl Healton Professor College of Global Public Health, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Professional), Columbia University School of Public Health

Siyu Heng Assistant Professor Biostatistics, College of Global Public Health

Filippa Juul Assistant Professor Faculty/Fellow Academic Affairs (CGPH), College of Global Public Health

Farzana Kapadia Professor Epidemiology (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Daniel Khokhar Assistant Professor Faculty/Fellow Bioethics (CGPH), College of Global Public Health

Thomas Kirchner Associate Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Pittsburgh

Jonathan Knutzen Assistant Professor Faculty/Fellow Bioethics (CGPH), College of Global Public Health

Alden Lai Assistant Professor Public Health Policy and Management, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Johns Hopkins University

S Matthew Liao Professor Academic Affairs (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Courtney A Mcknight Clinical Assistant Professor Epidemiology (CGPH), College of Global Public Health

Alexis Merdjanoff Assistant Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Rutgers University-Newark

Michael H Merson Visiting Professor Global Health Programs, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn

Joyce Moon Howard Clinical Associate Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Professional), Columbia University School of Public Health

Genevra Murray Assistant Professor Public Health Policy and Management, College of Global Public Health

Peter Navario Clinical Associate Professor Public Health Policy and Management, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Raymond S Niaura Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Joyce O'Connor Clinical Associate Professor Academic Affairs (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Jonathan Odumegwu Visiting Assistant Professor Biostatistics, College of Global Public Health

Danielle Ompad Professor Epidemiology (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Jose Pagan Professor Academic Affairs (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of New Mexico-Main Campus

Niyati Parekh Professor Academic Affairs (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Nina S Parikh Clinical Associate Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Columbia University in the City of New York

Claudia Passos Ferreira Assistant Professor Bioethics (CGPH), College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO)

Emmanuel Peprah Assistant Professor Global Health Programs, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Meharry Medical College

Jennifer Pomeranz Assistant Professor Public Health Policy and Management, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Professional)

Jonathan Purtle Associate Professor Public Health Policy and Management, College of Global Public Health

Saba Rouhani Assistant Professor Epidemiology (CGPH), College of Global Public Health

Rachel Ryan Visiting Assistant Professor Public Health Nutrition, College of Global Public Health

Donna Shelley Professor Public Health Policy and Management, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Hai Shu Assistant Professor Biostatistics, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Diana Silver Professor Public Health Policy and Management, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Brian Spitzer Visiting Assistant Professor Biostatistics, College of Global Public Health Bachelor's Level Degree

Yesim Tozan Assistant Professor Global Health Programs, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Wilson Wang Visiting Associate Professor Global Health Programs, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), University of California-Berkeley

Judith Weissman Visiting Assistant Professor Epidemiology (CGPH), College of Global Public Health

Shu Xu Clinical Assistant Professor Biostatistics, College of Global Public Health Doctorate (Academic)

Lawrence Hsin Yang Professor Social Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Boston University Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program

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A doctorate is the pinnacle of an arts and science education. Founded in 1886, the Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU is among the oldest schools offering doctoral programs in the United States. Today NYU’s doctoral programs span the humanities, sciences, and social sciences, and students pursue cutting-edge research with the close supervision of NYU’s internationally recognized research faculty. New York City resources complement and enhance our vibrant intellectual communities. Use the links below to explore Doctor of Philosophy and dual advanced degrees at New York University.

Ph.D. Programs Dual Degree Programs

FAAN FGSA PhD

Dean's professor in global health vice dean, research affiliated professor, ashman department of periodontology & implant dentistry co-director, nyu aging incubator.

433 First Ave New York , NY 10010 United States

Bei Wu's additional information

Professional overview.

Dr. Wu is Dean’s Professor in Global Health and Vice Dean for Research at the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. She is an inaugural Co-Director of the NYU Aging Incubator. Prior to joining NYU, she was the Pauline Gratz Professor of Nursing at Duke University School of Nursing. Prof. Wu is an internationally-known leader in gerontology.

As a principal investigator, Prof. Wu has led numerous projects supported by federal agencies and private foundations, including the NIH and CDC. She is currently leading several NIH-funded projects including a clinical trial to improve oral health for persons

with cognitive impairment, and a large secondary data analysis to examine how the co-occurrence of diabetes and poor oral health may lead to the development of dementia and cognitive decline. She co-leads the newly funded Rutgers-NYU Center for Asian Health Promotion and Equity. Through this center, she also leads a 5-year intervention study that focuses on supporting Chinese and Korean dementia caregivers who are at increased risk for high blood pressure and diabetes due to the physical and emotional demands of caregiving. She is a director of the Research and Education Core for the NIA-funded Asian Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR).

As a scholar, Prof. Wu is an internationally known leader in gerontology. Her scholarship has been distinguished by interdisciplinary collaborations with researchers in various disciplines, including nursing and dentistry, in the US and abroad. Her research areas cover a wide range of topics related to aging and global health, including oral health, long-term care, dementia, and caregiving. She is one of the first in the nation to study the linkages between oral health and cognitive decline in older adults. Her research has also addressed knowledge gaps in the linkages between oral health and diabetes.

Prof. Wu has devoted much of her time to training the next generation of aging and nursing scientists from dozens of academic institutions in the U.S. and abroad. She has mentored hundreds of faculty members, visiting scholars, and students from various disciplines, including nursing, gerontology, dentistry, medicine, social work, demography, public health, sociology, public policy, geography, and economics. She is successful in mentoring several dozens of early-stage faculty members in receiving competitive funding from NIH, Robert Wood Johnson Scholars, the Alzheimer’s Society (UK), National Science Foundation of China, China Medical Board, National Medical Research Council (Singapore), and many others. 

Prof. Wu is a productive researcher. She has published more than 600 peer-reviewed papers, books, reports, and conference abstracts. Her extensive publications cover a wide range of topics related to aging and global health. She has delivered presentations at hundreds of conferences as an invited speaker. Her work has been widely recognized in the field. Research findings from her team have been featured by the National Institute on Aging, and in numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, CNN, BBC, U.S. News and World Report, MarketWatch, CBS News, Reuters, AARP Bulletin, China Daily, Daily Mail, South China Morning Post, and Financial Review.

Her achievement has been recognized by many international and national organizations and she is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, and the New York Academy of Medicine. She is an honorary member of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, and is the former president of the Geriatric Oral Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research. She has served on a number of NIH review panels and is a frequent reviewer for multiple international funding agencies. She was honored as the 2017 IADR Distinguished Scientist in Geriatric Oral Research. She is the recipient of the 2022 Wei Hu Inspiration Award from the China Health Policy and Management Society. 

Specialties

Professional membership, honors and awards, faculty honors awards, publications, the association between trajectories of perceived unmet needs for home and community-based services and life satisfaction among chinese older adults: the moderating effect of psychological resilience, the informal discussion of advance care planning among chinese older adults: do education and social media use matter, the moderating role of self-rated oral health on the association between oral health status and subjective well-being: findings from chinese older adults in hawaiʻi and taiwan, adverse childhood experiences and oral health conditions among middle-aged and older chinese adults: exploring the moderating roles of education and gender, age differences in the effects of multi-component periodontal treatments on oral and metabolic health among people with diabetes mellitus: a meta-epidemiological study, age and mental health symptoms among chinese persons with hiv: the mediating and moderating role of perceived discrimination, age and sex differences in the associations among socioeconomic status, affective reactivity to daily stressors, and physical health in the midus study, aging and oral health: biological and sociobehavioral perspectives, the association between intergenerational support and self-rated health among chinese older adults: do resilience and gender matter, association between perceived risk of alzheimer's disease and related dementias and cognitive function among u.s. older adults.

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Doctoral Program

Prospective doctoral students who would like to train with faculty from the Global Health and Population Department should apply to the Doctor of Philosophy ( PhD ) Program in Population Health Sciences and choose Global Health and Population as their Field of Study.

What is the PhD program?

The PhD in Population Health Sciences is offered under the aegis of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and is awarded by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Students in this program will gain broad, interdisciplinary knowledge in quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiry for understanding the health of populations, and developmental approaches to population health science. In addition, students will belong to one of the following Fields of Study associated with the departments of: Environmental Health , Epidemiology , Global Health and Population , Nutrition , or Social and Behavioral Sciences .

Through students’ explicit selection of the Field of the Study, the new PhD program will retain elements of the former SD program including the ability to choose an “Area of Specialization” within any given Field of Study, while introducing new curriculum aspects including a rigorous program-wide methods course, training in scientific communication, and seminars providing a broad understanding of population health.

Global health and population.  The field of global health and population addresses the interdependence of health threats and responses across countries and communities. It is deeply transdisciplinary and applies advanced quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiry from demography, epidemiology, economics, decision science, survey science, health systems research and political analysis to understand the origins of health and disease and to establish the causal impact and social value of health interventions and systems reforms. Particular areas of research focus are health systems and health services; and population and family health related to reproductive maternal, child, and adolescent health and nutrition, and both infectious diseases, such as HIV, TB and malaria, and non-communicable conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health.  PhD in Population Health Sciences students with global health and population as their primary field of study may choose to focus in one of two secondary fields of study: health systems or population and family health .

For further details on the PhD program, please visit this website .  Prospective doctoral students may also continue to browse the departmental website for information on faculty expertise, research, and course offerings.

What is the admissions process for the PhD program?

Applicants may wish to visit the GSAS Admissions website for general information on how to apply.

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About the Program

The Doctoral Program in Global Health and Development (GHD) is a new and distinctive training program anchored in the Hubert Department of Global Health, and affiliated with the Public Health Sciences cluster of doctoral programs within the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies .

The goal of this program is to train leaders and scholars who use science to improve public health policy and practice for underserved populations globally. Graduates will acquire a solid understanding of the theoretical frameworks of implementation science and relevant methodological skills required to guide programs and policies that are designed to improve health outcomes in a variety of settings across the globe.

Training will provide students with deep and broad expertise in the field of global health and development, creativity to cross discipline boundaries, courage to challenge convention, and confidence to ask unexpected questions and articulate bold new perspectives.

Training faculty include 47 core faculty members and 10 affiliated faculty members who are based at several partner institutions such as the Carter Center and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The core faculty have primary appointments in the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory School of Medicine, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Goizueta School of Business, Nell Hodgson School of Nursing and Emory Law School and represent a wide variety of disciplines.  The GHD PhD Program collaborates closely with the Emory Master’s in Development Practice program , a two-year professional degree that prepares students for careers in development and humanitarian fields.

What You’ll Learn

This new PhD offering is one of the only programs globally that specifically offers a doctoral degree in Global Heath and Development. Distinct program advantages include:

• a specific focus on interrelationships between global health and other components of development (e.g. education, urban growth),
• deep learning in ethics and leadership,
• rigorous training in implementation science and interventions, and
• an explicit recognition that field training can be local or global. Moreover, Emory’s strong collaborative ties and engagement of experts based in non-academic settings, such as CARE, The Carter Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer our students unparalleled opportunities for training with experts who are engaged in designing and implementing programs and policies that influence global health and development. These are innovations in training that leverage the expertise of our faculty and our partnerships that are not explicitly emphasized at other institutions in the US or abroad.

Specific skills that the graduates of this program will acquire include a solid understanding of the theoretical frameworks and practical aspects of using implementation science to guide programs and policies that are designed to improve health outcomes in a variety of settings across the globe combined with an understanding of the importance of development theory and practice and ethical challenges.

They will also gain the relevant methodological skills and underlying theory based on their area of interest and career goals (for e.g. policy and advocacy, improving health systems and/or designing and evaluating strategies that include behavioral and/or biomedical interventions in varying areas such as maternal and child health, infectious diseases, noncommunicable diseases and mental health).

The trainees in this unique program will be challenged to study and think about issues such as scalability, i.e. exploring the processes and transition through which stakeholders become increasingly skillful and committed to using an intervention and assimilating these interventions into societal structures and functioning within a given context.

They will have core courses that cover the range of content and skills-based knowledge that they need and will have access to a vast variety of elective courses across Emory based on their project needs and/or personal interests.

Emory University’s PhD in Global Health and Development seeks to fill that capacity gap by training leaders in the field with strong methodological foundations to design, manage, implement, and evaluate programs and policies in diverse settings.

The application for the Fall 2021 admissions cycle will open in September 2020. The application deadline is December 1 st . You can submit your application before your letter writers have submitted their letters of recommendation. Make sure you upload the correct version of your statement of purpose, resume and transcripts, as our office is unable to remove or add any document in your application once it has been submitted. View the full list of Admissions Requirements.

Degree Requirements

A full-time course load, considered 9 credit hours or more per semester, is required for all GHD doctoral students. All students must pass the Qualifying Exam before taking the General Doctoral Exam. A Master’s degree will not be granted without a thesis. Independent of admission status, ALL STUDENTS in the GHD Doctoral Program are required to take and pass the Qualifying Exam.

Training Program

The GHD program provides students and program faculty several opportunities for providing feedback. For students, these will include, but are not restricted to, regular meetings with the DGS, participation in the Executive Committee (EC) meetings (two student representatives will be elected by the graduate student body), and meetings with the DGS who will be available by email and during structured office hours.

The DGS will also routinely obtain feedback and obtain student evaluations of the core courses and performance of teaching assistants and other guest lecturer faculty. In these reviews, students will have the opportunity to report on how the curriculum fosters the development of critical thinking skills and make recommendations for additional new courses and/or training opportunities that will be pursued actively.

The EC will also solicit annually from program faculty feedback about the program for discussion at EC meetings in their consideration and application of program changes.

This event includes an overview of the GHD program, the application process, and admission process as well as an introduction to the Hubert Department of Global Health by the Department Chair, Dr. Usha Ramakrishnan, and a panel discussion by current students in the GHD program, followed by a Q&A session.

Virtual Tours of the Campus

Walking Tours

For More Information, Contact:

Please contact Joan Lynfatt to learn more about this new program.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1 404-727-5552

Connect With Us

Want to Learn More About GPH?

Request information about degree programs and opportunities that await you at GPH.

Join an Upcoming Information Session

Learn about our programs, and the admissions and financial aid processes.

Ready to Apply?

Start your application to GPH using the SOPHAS centralized application platform.

New York City is Your Laboratory

Conduct research in GPH’s many Centers, Labs and Institutes, and work alongside faculty who have long standing connections to local and global health organizations.

GPH by the Numbers

Alumni employed or seeking further education within a year of graduation

Active research projects conducted by GPH faculty and students

Ranked as one of the Best Graduate Schools in Public Health by U.S. News & World Report

Request information about our degree programs, life on campus, and opportunities that await you at gph., take the next step.

Degrees and Programs

Our degrees and programs draw faculty from 11 NYU schools to foster an interdisciplinary approach to addressing global health challenges.

Financing Your Education

We are committed to helping you make your GPH degree a reality through a variety of resources, no matter where you are in your academic journey.

Ashlee Wisdom, MPH '18

Stem designation grants 2 year work extension in u.s. for eligible international students..

Countries where GPH alumni work

Courses with Flexible Scheduling

Students are international or underrepresented minorities

Ready to apply start your application to gph using the sophas centralized application platform..

Graduate Admissions

Global health.

York University's PhD program in Global Health will examine global health issues in relation to intersecting challenges of wealth disparity, environmental degradation, government policy and human rights. The program will prepare the next generation of health leaders with the knowledge and skills to address these challenges and improve health for people worldwide, helping to create the conditions that enable equity. Graduates will fulfill leadership and advocacy positions in education, research, health systems, and business, in public and private sectors, in Canada and internationally.

The PhD program prioritizes interdisciplinary, critically-oriented and solutions-focused approaches to research, practice and innovation. Learning is centered around an independent plan that enables students to choose "their own adventure" and execute it over four years with local and/or international partners and, on a case-by-case basis, developing diverse dissertation outputs through novel cotutelle models.

Quick Links

• Program Details

Additional Admission Requirements

• Your Resources
• Program Page
• Request More Information

Degrees Offered

Program length (part-time), program component(s).

• Comprehensive examination(s)
• AND Dissertation product

Minimum Required GPA

Deadline - fall (all applicants), english proficiency requirement.

Duolingo scores are accepted for Summer 2021, Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 entry only.

Other Requirements

• Official transcripts
• Statement of interest (detailing proposed research, methods and timeline)
• Writing sample
• 2 Reference letters
• Curriculum vitae
• Proposed supervisor
• Specified interest in academic or professional stream, full or part time
• SGH based or via cotutelle (at York – 2 faculties, or at York + other university)
• English proficiency
• See Admissions Requirements on program page

Number of Recommendation(s)

• 2 recommendation(s)
• Official transcripts required, must be verified (and translated) as required by York University. 
• At least 1 recommendation must be from an academic referee (the second may be professional/work-based or academic/university-based).
• Applicants with a Bachelors or Bachelors Honors degree alone are required to submit 3 recommendations, and at least 2 of the 3 referees must be academic/university-based.
• All referees are requested to assess the applicant's aptitude and suitability for graduate studies, research, and global health work. As referees are likely based at diverse institutions and countries, they are also requested to include a brief personal biosketch (100-200 words) and/or link their public profile to their letter. 
• Materials must be be submitted in English using font size 11 or 12. Exceptions include published works and transcripts. Published works and transcripts that are not in English must also be translated and translations verified and submitted.

Ways to connect with the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Program Supports

Have a program-related question.

Contact the graduate program assistant: yorku.ca/gradstudies/program-contacts/

Have an admission related question? Contact the Graduate Admissions Team

By phone: 416-872-9675

By email:   [email protected]

Upcoming graduate webinars/in-person events for Future Students: futurestudents.yorku.ca/events/graduate

York University Office of Admissions Bennett Centre for Student Services 99 Ian Macdonald Blvd Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 CANADA 

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Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards

Fill out our  academic information form  to request information about programs.

The School of Public Health and Health Professions, Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health and the university offer fellowship, scholarship and award opportunities to qualified graduate students. 

Opportunities are available for focused study of cancer epidemiology, infectious disease, and occupational safety and health.

On this page:

Specialized fellowships and grants.

Cancer Epidemiology Fellowships Fellowships funded by an NCI R25T training grant are available for qualified students in the cancer epidemiology track within the PhD program. All fellows are involved in interdisciplinary research, working with a mentor in epidemiology and in a second field of research. Fellows receive a stipend and funds for tuition, research and related activities and items (attendance at scientific meetings, memberships, books, etc.). Students are generally accepted into the training program at the end of their first year of study. Learn more about UB’s cancer epidemiology fellowships by contacting Terri Raimondo at [email protected] or 716-829-5363.

Occupational Safety and Health Fellowships Funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), training fellowships are available for qualified, full-time master’s students interested in a multidisciplinary training approach to advance occupational safety and health practice in Western New York. Learn more about the fellowships and how to apply.

Department of EEH Scholarships and Awards

Julie Baker Award The award in honor of Julie Baker, a graduate of the epidemiology MS and PhD/MD programs, provides a stipend of $1,500 per semester for one year to a newly admitted MS or MPH student. All applicants to these graduate programs will be considered for funding at the time of admission. There is no separate application which must be completed.

Robert O’Shea Student Travel Award Established in 2005 to honor Robert O’Shea, PhD, associate professor emeritus and first director of graduate studies in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine from 1977 to 1997 (now named Epidemiology and Environmental Health).

Students may submit a written request to the department’s finance committee to support their travel to present research findings at professional meetings, and are strongly encouraged to submit for approval prior to abstract submission. Those students who are supported by a faculty member’s research funding for travel may also be eligible for the award.

Saxon Graham Research Award The late Saxon Graham, PhD, was chair of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine from 1981-1991 (now named Epidemiology and Environmental Health) and was a leader in the field of nutritional epidemiology. His work on diet and cancer was instrumental in our growing understanding of what causes cancer and its prevention.

This award provides funds to support research activities that are being conducted as part of a doctoral dissertation. Eligible students are candidates in the PhD in epidemiology degree program who have passed the preliminary examination. Awarded funds are applied towards research activities such as participant recruitment, clinical specimen analysis, travel to meet with collaborators, etc.

Saxon Graham Award This annual award to a student graduating with a PhD in epidemiology was established in 1997 to honor the excellent leadership provided by the late Saxon Graham, PhD, professor emeritus and chair of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine from 1981 to 1991 (now named Epidemiology and Environmental Health).

Eligible students are those who have defended their dissertation by February 1 of the year of the award. To be eligible, students must gather epidemiologic data fairly extensively during their career (primary data collection), either for dissertation or other epidemiologic purpose. Nominations come from the student’s major professor, committee member or other departmental faculty. The award is for excellence as a doctoral student; the topic of dissertation should include epidemiology and the prevention of disease, and is not limited to cancer.

SPHHP/EEH Masters Student Scholarship Program An award sponsored by the School of Public Health and Health Professions and the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health provides a stipend of $3,000 per year for two years, contingent on remaining in good academic status, to a newly admitted MS or MPH student. There will be up to one recipient per degree program (MPH epidemiology, MPH environmental health, MPH health services administration, MS epidemiology and MS clinical research). All applicants to these graduate programs will be considered for funding at the time of admission. There is no separate application which must be completed.

Wactawski and Wende Family Endowment

This endowment fund helps support exemplary doctoral students in the School of Public Health and Health Professions' Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health.

This fund will be granted to one incoming EEH doctoral student each year, with preference given to exceptional applicants who are interested in pursuing research in women’s health. This support will be in addition to typical salary and course credit provided to PhD students. The Wactawski and Wende Family Endowment fund will cover non-tuition, ancillary expenses to further the education of the recipient, such as meeting or training travel; data collection; books; society memberships; conference registrations; research; and other activities related to his/her UB doctoral program not covered by the department.

The Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health will administer the fund through the department, based on a recommendation from the Admissions Committee. The recipient must remain in good academic standing throughout their graduate career. 

School of Public Health and Health Professions Scholarships and Awards

Dr. michael f. noe diversity scholarship.

The Dr. Michael F. Noe Diversity Scholarship provides scholarships to students from historically underrepresented populations, including Native Americans, who demonstrate academic excellence and financial need. It is intended to promote educational diversity, equity, and inclusion consistent with the values of the School of Public Health and Health Professions. 

The vision for the Dr. Michael F. Noe Diversity Scholarship not only is to financially support students who are pursuing a degree in the SPHHP, but also to attract and retain the best candidates, foster student growth outside of the classroom, and ultimately benefit diverse populations that the school serves. A service requirement is highly recommended and will be determined by the Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

SPHHP Awards to Promote Student Diversity

The School of Public Health and Health Professions (SPHHP) offers stipends and tuition scholarships to students who have been admitted to a master's-level graduate program or the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, who will be enrolled on a full-time basis, and students who will contribute to the diversity of the student body in the graduate or professional program in which they will be enrolled. Applicants to the BS/MS in occupational therapy may also apply for a tuition scholarship which is awarded for the MS portion of the degree (final 2 years).

Students who will contribute to the diversity of their program and their field based on sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, religion, socio-economic status, veteran status, first-generation status, or experience of exclusion are encouraged to apply for these awards. Students who can demonstrate that they have overcome a disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education are especially encouraged to nominate themselves.

Students apply for a diversity award when applying for admission to the program of their choice. However, information shared in the diversity award application is not used for admission decisions. 

Max Villatoro | 2021 Recipient

"As a first generation Hispanic student, I was extremely honored to receive the SPHHP diversity award. This award helped reduce barriers of coming from a low income family and helped me accomplish my dream of becoming a physical therapist at an excellent DPT program."

SPHHP Student Diversity Fund

The goal of this fund is to reduce barriers to attending SPHHP professional programs among students from diverse backgrounds and support pathway programs.

SPHHP's learning community is enriched by differences in perspectives and background. A diverse student body, faculty and staff is instrumental in promoting cultural competence in public health and clinical practice. The school therefore is taking action to increase diversity among students, faculty and staff, with first in family to attend college, sex, nationality, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, religion, socio-economic status, veteran status, students who have experienced social exclusion, and to support the specific needs of international, first-generation, transfer and returning students.

The fund will provides tuition support to professional and other graduate students from diverse backgrounds. 

Hamilton Wilson Student Support Fund

History of the Fund

In Spring 2018, Greer Hamilton, MSW ’16, and Danise C. Wilson, MPH ’14, launched the Hamilton Wilson Student Support Fund to promote diversity and representation within their professions and health and human service workforce. As graduates of the University at Buffalo MSW and MPH programs, they recognized the need to support students to ensure their success during school and within their career.

Fund Overview

The Hamilton Wilson Fund provides $1,000 in support for a student who is a member of a traditionally underrepresented population enrolled in the Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Social Work (MSW) programs at the University at Buffalo. The award is meant to be used towards school-related expenses such as books, field placement, transportation and other needs awardees may have. Students may apply in any year of their program as long as they are enrolled in MPH courses in the semester during which they apply. A call for applications is typically circulated in September.

Donor Stories in AtBuffalo

UB Diversity Scholarships for Graduate Students

• Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship Program for PhD applicants
• ASCEND Triad Healthcare Recruiting Scholarship for Health Professions (OT and DPT)
• Graduate Opportunity Program (GOP) University Award for all graduate applicants
• 12/13/23 Application Fee Waivers for all graduate students
• Maureen R. L. Mussenden Scholarship
• 5/19/23 HRSA Grant-funded Education

Nationally Competitive Diversity Scholarships and Awards

• American Association of University Woman (AAUW) Educational Funding and Awards
• Health Resources and Services Administration Loans and Scholarships
• UNCF Scholarship Programs
• Scholarships.com Minority Scholarships

Global Health

University at Buffalo Awards and Fellowships

Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship Sponsored by New York State, this fellowship offers support for historically underrepresented students in graduate programs across the university. Schomburg Fellows participate in conferences and seminars and present papers in their respective disciplines. Learn more about the Schomburg Fellowship eligibility and nomination requirements .

University at Buffalo Presidential Fellowship This fellowship is aimed at recruiting outstanding graduate students. Students are considered for this award at the time of admission; there is no additional application required. To be eligible, a nominee must be a new applicant to a PhD program with at least one of the following:

• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.4 or higher OR;
• A two-component combined GRE test score (the sum of the scores of the verbal and quantitative components of the GRE General Test revised format subsequent to Oct. 1, 2002) of 1270 or higher AND a score on the new analytical writing component of 4.5 or higher OR;
• A score on the relevant GRE Subject Test in the 75th percentile or higher.

Graduate Opportunity Program The Graduate Opportunity Program (GOP; formerly GEOP) provides tuition scholarships to graduates of certified Educational Opportunity Program (EOP); Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP); and CUNY Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK) programs within New York State who wish to pursue further education at the graduate level on a full-time basis (12 credits each semester). All disciplines are eligible. The GEOP receives a limited amount of funding each year. Therefore, tuition scholarships are not guaranteed to all students who apply.

Visit the UB Graduate School for more information.

Meet Our Students

Zeinab Farhat Epidemiology PhD student

Raymond Luu Epidemiology MPH Student

David Jacobs, PharmD Epidemiology PhD Student

Nadia Epidemiology PhD Student

Joshua Gordon MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Student

Zhongzheng Niu Epidemiology PhD Student

Anthony George Epidemiology MS Student

Bianca Marrara Epidemiology MPH Student

Gauri Desai Epidemiology PhD student

Sarah Twardowski Epidemiology MS student

Grace Ayoub 

Corinne Abrams Environmental Health MPH Student

The PhD program creates a thorough understanding of the body of multi-disciplinary concepts, approaches and issues at the leading edge of the field to inform the study of health policy and equity or health system decision-making/data analytics problems. Students navigate theoretical, practical, and ethical challenges while conceptualizing and conducting original scholarly investigations to generate new knowledge. Students in the PhD program are expected to complete: (1)  Courses (2) Comprehensive Exam and (2) Dissertation as noted below.  All PhD students must abide by the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements for completing their chosen program of study within 18 terms.

• Comprehensive Papers, Exam and Dissertation Guidelines for HLTH PhD (.pdf)
• Dissertation

After successful completion of the comprehensive examination, PhD students will focus on the dissertation process. The dissertation makes an original contribution to scholarship in the student's specified field.

Dissertation Process Stages:

The establishment of a Supervisory Committee, if different from the comprehensive examination committee. The committee consists of three faculty members, at least two of whom will be members of the Graduate Program in Health. The third member may be appointed to a Graduate Program other than Health;

The preparation of a dissertation proposal, must be approved by the Program Director, the Supervisory Committee, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

The writing of a dissertation acceptable to the Supervisory Committee and formally approved as examinable by the members of that committee;

The successful completion of an oral examination, centered on the dissertation and matters related to it, and presided over by an Examining Committee recommended by the program director for approval and appointment by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

The Graduate Program in Health at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.

Connect with Health

School of Global Health

Global health challenges, including climate change, infectious diseases and pandemics, and chronic noncommunicable diseases, do not recognize borders. Public health crises or disease outbreaks in a remote part of Africa or South Asia, for example, could reach and threaten the health and well-being of people in Canada or other parts of the globe within days, if not hours. The health of the world's population is intertwined with broader issues, including wealth disparity, environmental degradation, government policy and human rights.

York's Global Health degrees examine these and other issues with a focus on preparing the next generation of health leaders with the knowledge and skills to improve the conditions that allow for greater health and health equity, locally and globally.

Quick Links

• Q&A with Current Global Health Students
• WHA Simulation Week
• COVID-19 Resources & Services
• Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization
• Global Health Handbook 2023-24
• Calumet College

Global Health at YorkU

Undergraduate Programs

York's Global Health degree (BA and BSc), the first of its kind in Canada, aims to produce agents of change who will fulfill leadership and advocacy positions in public, private, and non-profit sectors locally, nationally, and internationally.

PhD Program

The Doctoral Program in the School of Global Health will prepare future leaders in research, practice, and policy-related scholarly pursuits, who contribute to transformational change in global health. 

Experiential Education

Global Health students have an opportunity to do an intensive placement with an organization, locally or internationally, providing real-world experience.

Global Health at York Video Transcript

Connect with YorkU Health

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Meet Our Fall 2024 Doctoral Cohort

We are thrilled to introduce our Fall 2024 doctoral cohort! They are 17 individuals whose training and background are highly diverse, but who share a passion for all that public health at CUNY SPH means. Please join us in welcoming them to our community.

Timnit Berhane Community Health and Health Policy

Timnit Berhane, MPH, was born and raised in the beautiful city of Asmara in Eritrea. After completing her bachelor’s in applied biology, she moved to the US, where her journey in public health officially began. Her first encounter with public health was in the advocacy sphere in Eritrea, where she volunteered in maternal and women’s reproductive health campaigns. Timnit went on to obtain her master’s in public health from Ohio University and has since been working on health equity and community engaged research. Currently, she splits her time between the Institute for Health Equity Research and the Office of Gender Equity in Science and Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her future interest area lies in exploring community-based mental health interventions in migrant communities.

Outside of work, Timnit loves finding coffee shops with a nice ambiance and drinks to work, read a good book, or just relax with friends. She also has a passion for plants, stemming from her experiences in a flowering plants class during undergrad, where she undertook the challenging task of collecting 20+ rare and endemic plants in Eritrea.

Aishwarya Sharma Community Health & Health Policy

Aishwarya Sharma is a passionate public health advocate, driven by a commitment to community empowerment and health equity. Armed with a Master of Public Health from Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and dual degrees in Psychology and Public Health from the University of Texas at San Antonio, her journey is fueled by a pursuit of knowledge and improved health outcomes. Currently, she serves as a Health Education Associate at Mount Sinai, where she crafts educational materials and fosters open conversations on sexual and reproductive health with youth. From academia to community outreach, her work is guided by a dedication to fostering healthier, more equitable futures for all.

Jacqueline Cortez Community Health & Health Policy

Jacqueline Cortez Lainez is a doctoral student at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, concentrating in Community Health and Health Policy. Her research interests include preventable chronic illnesses, specifically, type 2 diabetes, heart diseases and respiratory illnesses. She earned her Master of Public Health degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a BS in Biology from St. John’s University. Throughout her research experience, she has contributed to several study interventions that aim to mitigate health disparities particularly within low-income and underserved communities.

Elizabeth Izampuye Community Health & Health Policy

Elizabeth Izampuye hopes to combine research with community and hospital engagement to reduce maternal health disparities. Her interests lie in examining barriers to prenatal and postpartum care, exploring how hospital interventions can lessen these barriers, and using qualitative and community-based participatory research methods. She obtained a BS in Health, Society, and Policy from the University of Utah and an MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences from the Yale School of Public Health.

Nicolas Makharashvili Community Health & Health Policy

Bringing over a decade of experience, Nicolas specializes in designing and managing evidence-based public health and social development programs, particularly focused on preventing violence against children. As Director of Safe Futures Hub, he leads collaborative efforts with prominent organizations such as the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, Together for Girls, and WeProtect Global Alliance to generate and mobilize knowledge in combating childhood sexual violence. In his prior role as Senior Program Officer at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Nicolas played a key role in disseminating and scaling up evidence-based interventions aimed at ending violence against children, collaborating closely with influential stakeholders including WHO, UNICEF, CDC, and others

Deirdre Flynn Community Health & Health Policy

Deirdre Flynn has held finance, strategy, and operations roles working across a broad range of social service, consulting, and finance organizations primarily focused on healthcare services. She currently works as a Senior Healthcare Payment and Finance Advisor at the New York City Department of Health in the Bureau of Equitable Health Systems. Previously Deirdre was a Director at Nonprofit Finance Fund, advising community-based organizations that address social drivers of health on contracting with health systems and payors to serve their clients. She holds an MBA in Healthcare Management. She loves her noisy family, reading, and New York!

Miles Avila Epidemiology

Miles Avila, MPH, is dedicated to improving patients’ lives by bringing critical medicines to those who need them. He graduated from Boston University School of Public Health in 2018 with an MPH in Biostatistics. Since 2018, Miles has been working as a biostatistician supporting and leading the statistical design and analysis of randomized controlled trials. Miles spent a few years working at CROs and learning in different therapy areas and study phases; since 2020, he has been working for AstraZeneca in the Vaccines & Immune Therapies Unit. In this role, Miles has led and supported the statistical design and analysis of clinical trials for COVID-19 medicines Evusheld (monoclonal antibody cocktail) and Vaxzevria (vaccine), both of which served as pre-exposure prophylaxis options against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. His work included conducting sample size and power calculations, assessing various analysis methods, and performing the statistical analyses that were critical to regulatory submission efforts. As a PhD student at CUNY SPH, he looks forward to expanding his statistical toolkit and giving back to the statistical community through methods research.

Allison S. Guarino Epidemiology

Allison S. Guarino, MPH (she/her), is passionate about using research and data analysis to understand the drivers of health inequities and improve reproductive health in NYC and beyond. Allison is currently working as a contracted Health Scientist from the CDC Foundation with the Perinatal and Infant Health Team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In her role, she provides scientific technical assistance and data analysis to the Perinatal Quality Collaborative program, specifically to sites serving pregnant and parenting people with substance use disorder and related mental health conditions. Prior to this, Allison was a Research Analyst at NYC DOHMH, studying programs for new mothers, babies, and their families. She also worked as an Epidemiologist at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, evaluating sexuality education programs, positive youth development programs, and clinical sexual and reproductive health services. As an upcoming PhD candidate in Epidemiology at CUNY SPH, she is excited to delve into traditional and emerging methods, as well as implementation science best practices to help guide research and policy. Allison obtained her MPH in Epidemiology and Maternal and Child Health from Boston University School of Public Health and graduated magna cum laude from the Kilachand Honors College at Boston University. Outside of her professional and academic pursuits, Allison loves to run in Central Park, see new shows, and try new restaurants with family and friends.

Jose Mazariego Epidemiology

Jose Mazariego is currently completing his last semester as an MPH student at CUNY Graduate School of Public Health in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Prior to pursuing public health, he was a student at Baruch College where he studied Statistics and Quantitative Modeling. His dedication to public health springs from his fervor for statistical analysis and data, as well as a strong desire to give back to his community. As an immigrant from El Salvador, he has personally witnessed the challenges faced by the immigrant community across the United States, from inadequate healthcare to economic hardships during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a research assistant at the Center for Systems and Community Design (CSCD), his work has centered on unraveling the myriad factors impacting the health of vulnerable populations, particularly in Harlem. His ongoing projects include investigating the impact of substance use, homelessness, and psychological distress on adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy among people with HIV, alongside simulating the effects of Covid-19 on HPV vaccinations among adolescents in New York State. As he transitions into this PhD program in Epidemiology and an incoming fellow at the Center for Immigrant, Refugee, and Global Health, he aspires to leverage both his personal experiences and professional expertise to enact positive change in communities like his through research and evidence-based interventions.

Brett Martini Epidemiology

Brett Martini recently completed his Master of Public Health in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH). There he nurtured an interest in infectious diseases, vaccine development, and vaccine-preventable diseases. During his tenure at YSPH, Brett participated in multiple research projects, such as developing accessible digital health tools and estimating different measures of vaccine effectiveness. In his roles, he assisted with evidence synthesis projects, provided support for clinical trials, conducted statistical analysis, and contributed to the creation of manuscripts intended for publication. Along with his research pursuits at Yale, Brett is finishing a two-year fellowship in clinical pharmacology at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Research and Evaluation. His projects at the FDA focus on furthering the development of biological products through clinical trial database management, PK/PD modeling and simulation, and analysis of immunogenicity data. As a PhD student at CUNY, Brett is looking forward to acquiring advanced knowledge in epidemiologic research and methodology to become a creative researcher studying infectious diseases and evaluating the impact of vaccination. Outside of his professional and academic pursuits, Brett enjoys cooking for (and with!) friends and family, exploring national parks, and rating movies on Letterboxd.

Kedie Pintro Epidemiology

Kedie Pintro, MS is interested in psychiatric epidemiology research with a focus on disparities and underserved populations. She currently works as a biostatistician at Massachusetts General Hospital and graduated with a master’s degree in neuropsychiatric epidemiology from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in biology and mathematics from CUNY Medgar Evers College. Projects she’s worked on have explored the impact of biological, social, environmental factors on psychological health outcomes as well as moderation of those outcomes. In her free time, Kedie enjoys listening to music, drawing, and playing team sports.

Eslam Abousamra Epidemiology Eslam Abousamra is a dedicated public health researcher passionate about infectious disease surveillance, data analysis, and enhancing public health intervention strategies. He graduated with a bachelors from Connecticut College in 2022 with honors studying molecular biology, applied statistics, and environmental studies and with a masters in Public health Epidemiology from University of Washington in 2024. He currently works as a graduate researcher at the Trevor Bedford lab within the Fred Hutch Research Center in Seattle where he researches infectious disease forecasting, surveillance, and the complex dynamics of respiratory viral interference. He also worked on various epidemiological research projects including studying addiction epidemiology specifically opioid research. He also had experience working in industry at Regeneron where he served in the digital biomarkers team and helped conducting clinical trials for digital end points. As an upcoming Ph.D. candidate in Epidemiology at CUNY SPH, he is eager to learn more advanced epidemiological methods as well as earn various skills in infectious disease interventions and implementation science. His goal is to build tools to improve public health surveillance and infectious disease interventions. In his spare time, Eslam enjoys photography, being outside, hiking, and reading about technology and science.

Jean Yanolatos Environmental and Planetary Health Sciences

Jean Yanolatos holds a MS in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University, an MBA from New York University, and a Project Management Professional Certification. She has had a long career at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where she currently is a Director of Research Program Management overseeing and directing projects from early-stage research through clinical development in Regeneron’s Obesity, Muscle, and Metabolic Disease projects. Jean has worked on efforts to discern disease biology, develop precision medicine approaches to define patient populations, and create treatments for obesity, lipodystrophies, metabolic-dysfunction associated steatohepatitis, type 1- and 2-diabetes, and muscular diseases. Her research interests include understanding disease mechanisms and prevention of obesity and other metabolic/nutritional disorders. In her free time, Jean occasionally paints and spends time with her husband and young son.

Claire Masters Environmental and Planetary Health Sciences

Claire Masters, MHP, has been based at Yale University for 10 years. She graduated from the University of Sydney School of Public Health in 2013 with a Master of Health Policy before relocating to the United States from her native Australia in 2014. With a background in healthcare administration, Claire initially worked in this field before transitioning to research. For three years, she served as a Research Associate at Yale’s Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, managing cardiovascular outcomes and quality measurement projects, before moving into her current role at the Yale School of Public Health as Associate Director for Health Care Management Education. Claire’s published research spans various aspects of public health, including digital health, cardiovascular outcomes, group prenatal care, perinatal mental health, and social determinants of maternal and child health. Through her doctoral studies, Claire is excited to contribute to a deeper understanding of the intersection of maternal and child outcomes and environmental determinants of health. In her spare time, she loves to run in Central Park, go swimming in the (Pacific) ocean, and go on adventures with her husband and son.

Neevetha Nadarajah Environmental and Planetary Health Sciences

Neevetha Nadarajah graduated from Columbia University with a Master of Arts in Climate and Society. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Communications. She currently is an Associate Client Success Manager at EnergyHub, a software company that built a distributed energy resource management system (“DERMS”) to support utilities in managing their load during peak demand to mitigate overload in the electric grid. In this role, she strives to be the distributed energy resource expert for her client in the utility world. Alongside being a client advocate, she also is a part of EquityHub, her company’s employee resource group focused on finding solutions to make demand response more equitable and accessible to all. As a continuation of her work in the energy industry, her research will focus on the negative impacts of an unstable electric grid on marginalized communities, such as how blackouts and brownouts disproportionately affect these communities and the health impacts of peaker plants that are often situated in low-income neighborhoods. In her free time, she loves to bake sweet treats, challenge herself with new dinner recipes, dance, and go to Broadway musicals.

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E.P.A. Says ‘Forever Chemicals’ Must Be Removed From Tap Water

The rule applies to a family of chemicals known as PFAS that are linked to serious health effects. Water utilities argue the cost is too great.

By Lisa Friedman

For the first time, the federal government is requiring municipal water systems to remove six synthetic chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems that are present in the tap water of hundreds of millions of Americans.

The extraordinary move from the Environmental Protection Agency mandates that water providers reduce perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS, to near-zero levels. The compounds, found in everything from dental floss to firefighting foams to children’s toys, are called “forever chemicals” because they never fully degrade and can accumulate in the body and the environment.

The chemicals are so ubiquitous that they can be found in the blood of almost every person in the United States. A 2023 government study of private wells and public water systems detected PFAS chemicals in nearly half the tap water in the country .

Exposure to PFAS has been associated with metabolic disorders, decreased fertility in women, developmental delays in children and increased risk of some prostate, kidney and testicular cancers, according to the E.P.A .

Michael S. Regan, the E.P.A. administrator, called the new regulation “life changing.”

“This action will prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses,” Mr. Regan said on a call with reporters on Tuesday. He described the rule as the most significant action the federal government has ever taken to reduce PFAS exposure in drinking water.

“We are one huge step closer to finally shutting off the tap on forever chemicals once and for all,” he said.

The E.P.A. estimated it would cost water utilities about $1.5 billion annually to comply with the rule, though utilities maintain that the costs could be twice that amount and are worried about how to fund it. States and local governments have successfully sued some manufacturers of PFAS for contaminating drinking water supplies, but the settlements awarded to municipalities have been dwarfed by the costs of cleaning up the chemicals, municipal officials said.

Industry executives say taxpayers will ultimately foot the bill in the form of increased water rates.

The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law provides $9 billion to help communities address PFAS contamination and the E.P.A. said $1 billion of that money would be set aside to help states with initial testing and treatment.

Mr. Regan announced the regulation on Wednesday in Fayetteville, N.C., near the site where, in 2017, a Chemours chemical plant discharged water contaminated with PFAS into the Cape Fear River, making the local drinking water unsafe.

Mr. Regan, who previously served as North Carolina’s top environmental regulator, oversaw the Cape Fear PFAS investigation at the time and forced Chemours to clean up the air, soil and water in the lower Cape Fear River basin communities.

In 2022, the E.P.A. found the chemicals could cause harm at levels “much lower than previously understood” and that almost no level of exposure was safe.

Under the new rule from the E.P.A., water utilities must monitor supplies for PFAS chemicals and would be required to notify the public and reduce contamination if levels exceeded the new standard of 4 parts per trillion for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Previously, the agency had advised that drinking water contain no more than 70 parts per trillion of the chemicals.

Public water systems have three years to complete their monitoring. If those samples show that levels of PFAS exceed the new E.P.A. standards, the utilities would have another two years to purchase and install equipment designed to filter out PFAS.

In a 2020 peer-reviewed study , scientists at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization, estimated that more than 200 million Americans had PFAS in their drinking water.

Public health advocates and scientists said the new regulation was overdue.

“A growing body of scientific research shows that PFAS chemicals are more harmful to human health than previously thought, and at extremely low levels,” said Anna Reade, director of PFAS advocacy at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group.

In just the past year, more than a dozen peer-reviewed studies have found evidence of additional health effects of PFAS exposure, including a delay in the onset of puberty in girls, leading to a higher incidence of breast cancer, renal disease, and thyroid disease; a decrease in bone density in teenagers, potentially leading to osteoporosis; and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes in women.

Dr. Susan M. Pinney, the director of the Center for Environmental Genetics at the University of Cincinnati, led a longitudinal study of young girls who had been exposed to PFAS after an industrial plant in West Virginia released the chemicals into the Ohio River.

She called the number of people exposed to PFAS around the country “mind boggling.”

Robert A. Bilott, an attorney who has spent more than two decades litigating the hazardous dumping of PFAS chemicals, said he had alerted the E.P.A. to the dangers posed by the chemicals in drinking water as early as 2001. “It has taken far too long to get to this point, but the scientific facts and truth about the health threat posed by these man-made poisons have finally prevailed,” Mr. Bilott said.

The E.P.A. calculated the health benefits of the new regulation at about $1.5 billion annually from reductions in cancer, heart attacks and strokes and birth complications.

But Republicans and industry groups, along with many mayors and county executives, said the Biden administration had created an impossible standard that would cost municipal water agencies billions of dollars.

Several questioned E.P.A.’s accounting as well as the science used to develop the new standard.

The American Water Works Association, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and other groups representing water utilities estimated that the cost of monitoring and remediation of PFAS could be as much as $3.2 billion annually. The figure is based on an analysis conducted for the American Water Works Association by Black & Veatch, a firm of consulting engineers.

Communities with limited resources will be hardest hit by the new rule, they said.

“When regulations are set near zero, that is not something manufacturers or water systems can economically achieve,” Brandon Farris, the vice president of energy policy at the National Association of Manufacturers, wrote in a letter to the E.P.A. “Regulations that are not economically achievable will lead to critical substances being manufactured outside of the U.S. where environmental protections are often less stringent.”

Christina Muryn, the mayor of Findlay, Ohio, a town of about 50,000 people, said that, while clean drinking water is an imperative, the E.P.A. was requiring municipalities to meet new mandates without adequate support.

“That is very frustrating to me as a citizen, as a mayor, and as someone who is responsible for our water treatment system,” Ms. Muryn said.

Public health advocates said the costs of the new rule were outweighed by the growing body of evidence of the dangers posed by PFAS.

Widely used since the 1940s, the chemicals are useful in repelling water and oil. Nonstick pans have been most famously associated with PFAS but the chemicals can be found in water-repellent clothes and carpets, certain shampoos, cosmetics and hundreds of other household items.

Lisa Friedman is a Times reporter who writes about how governments are addressing climate change and the effects of those policies on communities. More about Lisa Friedman

The Proliferation of ‘Forever Chemicals’

Pfas, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are hazardous compounds that pose a global threat to human health..

For the first time, the U.S. government is requiring municipal water systems to detect and remove PFAS from drinking water .

A global study found harmful levels of PFAS  in water samples taken far from any obvious source of contamination.

Virtually indestructible, PFAS are used in fast-food packaging and countless household items .

PFAS lurk in much of what we eat, drink and use, but scientists are only beginning to understand how they affect our health .

Though no one can avoid forever chemicals entirely, Wirecutter offers tips on how to limit your exposure .

Scientists have spent years searching for ways to destroy forever chemicals. In 2022, a team of chemists found a cheap, effective method to break them down .