Larsen Speaks to Newsweek About Funding Cuts to the CDC's National Wastewater Surveillance System
Dave Larsen, professor and chair of public health, says that with the cuts, $25 million would only be enough to fund wastewater surveillance in a few states, and mean only seasonal epidemic pathogens like influenza, RSV and COVID-19 could be tracked.
See related: COVID-19, Federal, U.S. Health Policy, United States, Wastewater Surveillance
Kmush Discusses the Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in ABC News Article
“It's going to be very difficult to get all the contacts identified and followed properly, especially since the international aid community is really short on resources,” says Brittany Kmush, associate professor of public health. “You don't want to be short on people and resources to do the contact tracing, short on places to go for people to quarantine and isolate.”
See related: Africa (Sub-Saharan), Global Health, Infectious Disease
Maxwell Undergraduate Researcher Examines Fetal Heart Patterns in Premature Births
Recent graduate Eva Quackenbush and faculty mentor Brittany Kmush are investigating whether fetal heart tracing patterns can predict outcomes for extremely premature infants.
See related: Maternal and Child Health, Student Experience, United States
Equities and Inequities Inherent in Wastewater Surveillance Systems for Public Health
The study, co-authored by Public Health Department researchers Milagros Neyra Blatz, Nicole Pulido and Dustin Hill, along with Professor of Public Health David Larson, was published in the American Journal of Public Health.
See related: New York State, Wastewater Surveillance
Genetic Variability of SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater and Associations With Community Transmission
The study, co-authored by Postdoctoral Scholar Dustin Hill and Professor of Public Health David Larsen, was published in Science.
See related: Community Health, COVID-19, Epidemiology, United States, Wastewater Surveillance
In Science, Research Links Genetic Variations in Virus from Wastewater with Community Transmission
The new findings have wide-ranging implications for improvements in the detection and monitoring of a host of communicable diseases.
See related: Community Health, COVID-19, Epidemiology, United States, Wastewater Surveillance
A Champion for Inclusion: Katherine McDonald Honored by National Disability Organization
The Maxwell School public health professor and Syracuse University associate vice president for research has been recognized by the nation’s leading organization in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
See related: Awards & Honors
Bergen-Cico Weighs In on Trump’s Claim That Drug Trafficking by Sea is Down 98.2% in AP Article
“Drug seizure data measure interdiction activity, not actual trafficking volume,” says Dessa Bergen-Cico, professor of public health. “As drug policy researchers have noted, no one knows how much goes uncaught, and changes in seizure data are insufficient to make definitive claims about policy outcomes.”
See related: Federal, Substance Use and Addiction, United States
Political Climate’s Role in Association Between Political Conservatism, COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy
See related: COVID-19, Political Parties, United States, Vaccines
Self-Reported Survey vs. Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Measures of Cocaine Use on a College Campus
The study, co-authored by Dessa Bergen-Cico and David Larsen, both professors of public health, was published in PLOS One.
Gap Analysis in Therapeutic Services for Birthing Individuals with Perinatal Mental Health Disorders
Published in Social Work in Public Health, the article was co-authored by Robert Rubinstein, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology; Sanda Lane, professor emerita of public health; and Brittany Kmush, associate professor of public health.
See related: Education, Maternal and Child Health, Mental Health, New York State
Analyzing the Stability of Gun Violence Patterns During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Syracuse, New York
The article, co-written by Maxwell professors Peng Gao, David Larsen, Robert Rubinstein and Sandra Lane, was published in the International Journal of Health Geographics.
See related: COVID-19, Crime & Violence, New York State, Urban Issues
Public Health: A Vital Addition to Maxwell
The department’s transition from Falk College fuels collaboration across disciplines, strengthens research centers, and establishes a hub for population and public health sciences.
See related: School History, Student Experience
MPH Student Says Hospital Experience Has Been ‘A Great Fit With My Interests’
Shelby Fenton has taken advantage of hands-on learning opportunities, including an Applied Learning Experience with SUNY Upstate University Hospital.
See related: Alumni Experience, Internships, Student Experience
Bernard Appiah Receives K. Everett M. Rogers Award for Advancing Public Health Communication
The annual award honors a pioneering communications theorist.
Public Health Alumnus Says Syracuse Provided ‘A Road Map to Continue to Learn’
Alejandro Parra took advantage of many experiential learning opportunities, the most recent of which was an internship with the Council of Europe’s Biomedical Division in the spring of 2025.
See related: Alumni Experience, Europe, Health Policy, International Affairs, Student Experience, Study Abroad, Ukraine, United States
MPH Alumna Awarded Prestigious Applied Epidemiology Fellowship in Seattle
Aspiring to a career in wastewater epidemiology, Catherine Faruolo hopes to expand on the knowledge, skills and perspective she gained at Syracuse.
Maxwell Students Research Impact of Redlining as 2024-26 Lender Fellows
Tommy DaSilva, Darla Hobbs, Jamea Candy Johnson and Sabrina Lussier are exploring housing as a critical determinant of social and health inequities under the guidance of Miriam Mutambudzi.
Summit Examines Advances and Applications in Wastewater Surveillance
The event was co-sponsored by the state Department of Health and coordinated by Professor David Larsen.
Political Science, Public Health Faculty Partner on Vaccine Study
Supported with a generous gift from Maxwell Advisory Board member David Kelso, Brittany L. Kmush and Shana Kushner Gadarian hope to better understand how state policies influence vaccine decisions.
See related: Community Health, COVID-19, Epidemiology, Giving, Government, Grant Awards, Infectious Disease, U.S. Health Policy, United States, Vaccines