Congratulations to our first cohort of H4A Fellows! The fellows completed the H4A program in August and presented research posters of their project journeys at the certificate ceremony. Their H4A journey and many of their projects were featured in Inside Stanford Medicine and in the Stanford Medicine Scopeblog. Congrats to Stanford H4A Fellows 2014 and thanks to all who supported the creation and delivery of H4A!

Stanford H4A faculty member Assistant Professor Sanjay Basu, MD, PhD is lead author of a recent study which found that banning the purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages with food stamps could reduce obesity and type-2 diabetes. H4A faculty member Professor Christopher Gardner, PhD co-authored the study, which used computer simulations to estimate the ban's effect. The study was published in the June issue of Health Affairs. Read about the study here.

Congratulations to Dr. Basu, who was named a "2013 Global Thinker" by Foreign Policy magazine. Dr. Basu received the recognition for his recent book, written with David Stuckler of Oxford University, The Body Economic: Why Austerity Kills, which analyzed huge sets of data on the effects that economic stringency has had on public health in recent history. Read the article here. 

"The best professional decision I've made in years -- this fellowship reconnected me with the reasons why I became a physician."
Charles Bowden, MD

"My name is Diana Delgadillo and I am proud to be part of the first fellows cohort of Stanford H4A. My goal is to narrow the gap in health disparities amongst the Hispanic population. Growing up in Bakersfield allowed me to see the hardships Hispanic immigrant farmworkers face. As a first generation Mexican daughter from an immigrant farm-working family, being a fellow is teaching me knowledge and techniques on how to have an impact on the health of Hispanics. Stanford H4A is a well organized program and is executed by very driven individuals. Besides interacting with some extraordinarily brilliant classmates, the courses are mentally challenging, allowing us to express our creativity and passion on a specific topic. We all share a “fire in our bellies” in distinct interests to ameliorate the health of our nation one person at a time."
Diana Delgadillo, Student & Community Activist

"A great supplement to my current practice in Ayurveda and Yoga, especially for designing community based participatory research projects and affecting behavior change!"
Sumita Vasudeva, Wellness Counselor

"Stanford H4A trains you in the skills to separate science and solid research from pseudo-science. It equips you with knowledge on health and behavior change, immediately empowering you and your community. However, H4A is more than just an academic program. It bolsters your strengths and encouraging you to confront your weaknesses, it cultivates you into a better version of yourself. H4A fosters a deep sense of meaning by positioning you to serve in a community you feel connected to. I am confident that I will graduate the program with a refined ability to create positive changes, and the humility to tackle obstacles with gratitude and resiliency."
Jenna Kim, BeWell Advisor

"I am blown away by the opportunities offered through Stanford H4A. I expected to learn about prevention and health in the program, but I never expected I would learn so much about myself. The unique design of the program gives participants the opportunity to pursue and develop passions while learning from an incredibly dynamic group of peers and professors."
Nicole Jeffery, future health professional

"This program delivers the educational trinity: a high quality academic experience from groundbreaking thought-leaders, a pragmatic problem-solving approach to real-world problems, and a diverse group of bright, talented people with far-flung life experiences. Mix, match, mingle, magic! So grateful to be here. I truly believe this is the future of medicine, and hopefully, medical education."
Drea Burbank, MD