Although pre-existing and novel PHS research projects span the gamut of scientific arenas and disciplines, our Center attempts to focus efforts through a series of “working groups”—informal networks of researchers sharing a conceptual area of shared interest. It may be a life course phase, a methodological approach, or a perceived area of critical deficiency in our present knowledge. Centered around these working groups, periodic lunches, presentations, seminars and other events bring members together to achieve the discovery agenda of the Center by generating “cross-talk” and fostering new collaborative initiatives that may have been impossible or unlikely previously. These working groups are also the organizing principle for our seed grant program and resource allocations. We recognize that there remain vast areas of overlap as well as “uncovered territory” and encourage you to reach out to us if you have an idea or request.

Interested in joining a working group? Email us!

Across the Lifespan

Adolescent Health

Studying adolescence as a key inflection point for determining future health

Immigration and Health

Assessing health impacts of immigration in the US and other countries; evaluating the impact of immigration policies and programs on population-level health outcomes

Preconception, Pregnancy and Early Childhood

Advancing our understanding of health from conception to age 2, including developmental biology, environmental impacts, the role of health care and early child development

Sex and Gender in Health Research

Examining the role of sex and gender in health over the life-course; closing gender data gaps in health research 

Special Populations and Rare Diseases

Utilizing a life-course approach to characterize risks and understand the progression of disease in special populations, including underserved groups

Work-Life, Retirement, Disability, Aging and Cognitive Decline

Analyzing the evolution of health to chronic disease in order to prevent mid-life and late-life disability; exploring how declining physical and cognitive function impact later life decisions

Health Determinants

Environment and Health

Exploring relationships between global environmental risk factors and health outcomes 

Food and Nutrition

Examining the dynamic interplay between food, nutrition, and population health

Gene-Environment Interaction

Identifying cause-and-effect relationships between the environment, genes, and human health; developing new analytical approaches and standards for sample sizes, DNA replication, and causal inferences

Health and Behavior

Researching the influence of the social environment on behavior and health; developing social and behavioral interventions to improve health

Health Disparities - Global and Domestic

Helping to reduce health disparities by understanding the roles of social, economic, environmental, and political factors driving these inequities

Methods, Technology, and Systems

Analytics

Developing innovative computational and statistical methods for acquiring, representing, and analyzing biological, observational, and clinical data to personalize healthcare and improve the health on a population scale

mHealth and Other New Technologies for Health

Leveraging cutting-edge technologies and applications to improve health on a population scale

The Learning Health System and the Science of Care Delivery

Developing novel methods and information systems designed to improve health and healthcare delivery through a cycle of data input, analysis and resulting system modification