The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies, PEDIMETS Research Group, and Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences have come together to honor National Public Health Week, held annually during the first full week of April. “Public health plays a vital role in shaping healthier communities,” said Dr. Arsham Alamian, associate dean for Health Studies and a lead organizer for the week’s activities.
Here are a few highlights from more than a dozen organized activities scheduled to take place April 6 to 11. Kicking off the week, BreastfeedMIAMI, a community collaboration to educate, support, and promote breastfeeding in Miami-Dade County, will host an opening reception from 2 to 4 pm for its weeklong “art of breastfeeding” exhibition in the school’s Schwartz Center Lobby. Dr. Cynthia Lebron, an assistant professor and a member of the board of directors for BreastfeedMIAMI as well as the American Public Health Association, helped bring the event to campus.
On April 7, a nature-filled mindfulness session at the University’s Gifford Arboretum ties in with the National Public Health Week theme of “Climate Action” for that day. The other daily themes established by the American Public Health Association for this year’s National Public Health Week are Strengthening Public Health Voices, Amplifying Public Health Voices, Championing Resilience for Health, and Community Advocacy.
On April 8, which is themed “Health Equity, the school will welcome Denys Lau, Ph.D., editor-in-chief of the “American Journal of Public Health,” a publication of the American Public Health Association. Dr. Lau’s talk at 12:30 pm in the school’s S.H.A.R.E. Auditorium will address strategies for building public health trustworthiness.
The next day, April 9, attendees can test their public health knowledge in the NPHW Trivia Session in Room 115 at the School of Nursing and Health Studies Schwartz Center building. On April 10, members of the PEDIMETS Research Group will lead a lunchtime Zoom session about chronic disease.
“The places we live and work significantly influence our health,” said Dr. Alamian, an epidemiologist who leads the PEDIMETS Research Group. “From creating safe living spaces to fostering supportive workplaces, the difference we make in our daily environments contributes to the collective health of our communities and builds a stronger future for all.”
Closing out the school’s annual public health celebration on Saturday, April 11 is the “Global Cannabis, Psychedelics, and AI Symposium.” Organized by the Vidot Lab: Cannabis and Psychedelics Use on Chronic Disease, the event takes place from 9 am to 5 pm at the University’s Lakeside Village Auditorium. Symposium organizer Dr. Denise Vidot is a research faculty member at the school and a cannabis and psychedelics epidemiologist certified in cannabis patient care.
All events are free, but some may request registration. For the full schedule, visit
https://umiami.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5uOT4heVuSslsnY?Q_CHL=qr.
