News

Throughout the School of Public Health’s first 10 years, faculty and students have actively engaged in research, service and education activities aimed at improving health across the globe and partnering with communities to accomplish these goals.

It is easier to spread the influenza virus (flu) than previously thought, according to a new University of Maryland-led study released today. People commonly believe that they can catch the flu by exposure to droplets from an infected person’s coughs or sneezes or by touching contaminated surfaces. But, new information about flu transmission reveals that we may pass the flu to others just by breathing.

Extreme heat and heavy rainfall are related to increased risk of hospitalization for asthma in Maryland, according to a study by the University of Maryland School of Public Health researchers. Based on over a decade of asthma hospitalization data (115,923 cases from 2000-2012), researchers observed a higher risk of asthma hospitalization after extreme heat or extreme precipitation events. The increases in risk were particularly high during the summer months. Their findings are published in the journal Environmental Health.

A newly published study of teen mothers and their infants in Washington DC by Family Science Assistant Professor Amy Lewin examined father involvement and its role in child social-emotional development. The study found that approximately three-quarters of the infants’ fathers, who were on average 19 years old, African American, and not living with their children, were in fact involved with their children, seeing them regularly and contributing financially to their needs.

New research out of the University of Maryland School of Public Health shows that exercise may improve cognitive function in those at risk for Alzheimer’s by improving the efficiency of brain activity associated with memory. Memory loss leading to Alzheimer’s disease is one of the greatest fears among older Americans. While some memory loss is normal and to be expected as we age, a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, signals more substantial memory loss and a greater risk for Alzheimer’s, for which there currently is no cure.