Mary McKay 

Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Initiatives 

WashU is fortunate to have public health strengths across our community; in our schools, institutes, centers, and across both campuses. 

Our new School of Public Health will strategically align and aim our collective strengths at the shared endeavor of making positive health outcomes possible for all. While our school is in formation, ‘Next Era News’ will be a central source of information for updates on the School of Public Health and a way to elevate the shared work in public health across WashU.

The launch of a new school requires an immense amount of shared work. In the near term, colleagues across our WashU community are moving toward key 2024 milestones. In June we will submit our initial CEPH accreditation application to begin the 18-month approval process. We also anticipate hiring the inaugural dean by this spring/summer. I am so proud of the collaborative work that is moving our shared public health agenda forward.

Capitalizing on the strengths of A&S, WashU will offer a major and minor in Public Health & Society. Because this program will be housed in Arts & Sciences, undergraduate students will gain a transdisciplinary foundation in various forms of inquiry drawn from public health, the natural and social sciences as well as the arts and humanities. This work has been chaired by T.R. Kidder and Lindsay Stark.

I’m pleased to share the search for our inaugural dean is progressing according to our anticipated timeline. A very special thanks goes to our inspiring co-chairs, Ross Brownson, Vicky Fraser, Dineo Khabele, and Rodrigo Reis. In addition, we are grateful to our talented committee members.

Debra Haire-Joshu and Brad Evanoff co-chaired the SPH Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Advisory Committee that has developed policies related to faculty promotion and tenure for four faculty tracks. Detailed descriptions of these policies, as well as expectations and the characteristics of the research-intensive school will be made available in the spring.

Under the guidance of Rodrigo Reis, the Office of Public Health has been established and staffed to plan for the administrative infrastructure of the new school. Rodrigo and his team will deliver the foundational elements that will enable the inaugural dean, once in role, to start from an established base of operations. 

Click here for a detailed timeline.

A Washington University School of Medicine study indicates diagnoses of breast cancer have increased steadily in women under age 50. Studying trends may offer possible prevention methods.

Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) science takes what we know and seeks to improve how evidence-based public health solutions are adopted, implemented, and maintained in the real world.

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has received a $17 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to address disparities in cancer research, treatment and outcomes in underrepresented populations.

Ross Brownson, the Steven H. and Susan U. Lipstein Distinguished Professor at the Brown School, has been named the recipient of the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) 2024 Honorary Fellow Award.

Public Health is shared work with incredible contributions coming from all corners of the university. 

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