Population and Public Health Sciences at USC

Through discovery, training and action, we are solving public health and health equity challenges, from local to global, for today and tomorrow.

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

2024-2025 ANNUAL REPORT:✨Our students, faculty, and staff didn’t just study population & public health sciences—they shaped it!

🔍Explore our highlights: research breakthroughs, community partnerships, and incredible achievements.
@KECKSchool_USC @USC
https://t.co/CqXYTjsubR

[USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health @USCGlobalHealth]

Another year of Global Health Governance and Diplomacy in Practice has wrapped! Over the course of two weeks, twelve USC students embarked on a whirlwind tour of the 79th World Health Assembly on the ground in Geneva.

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

Congratulations to Drs. Stern, Tsui, and Miller on helping lead this important effort to address cancer disparities and improve outcomes for all.

[USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center @uscnorris]

USC cancer researchers Drs. Mariana Stern, Jennifer Tsui, and Kimberly Miller helped lead @AACR's 2026 Cancer Disparities Progress Report, which highlights progress against cancer while underscoring persistent inequities and funding concerns.

https://t.co/53qjt11L9g

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

Congratulations to Dr. Mariana Stern on helping lead this important effort to advance health equity and reduce cancer disparities.

[AACR @AACR]

Dr. Mariana C. Stern of @uscnorris, Steering Committee Chair for the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report, discusses the research-driven progress in cancer disparities, the obstacles to health equity, and the importance of dedicated federal funding to close the gap in care.

[USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health @USCGlobalHealth]

🎉 Congratulations to Breman Fellowship recipient Madeline Garcia!

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

Rima Habre, ScD, MS, associate professor of @uscpphs & co-director of the NEXUS Exposomics Center, and her team, recently hosted NIEHS Director Kyle Walsh, PhD, on the NEXUS Exposomics podcast to discuss advancing exposomics at the @NIH.

https://t.co/raKaYYnmJ2

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

USC student Welela Solomon graduated with degrees in Health Promotion & Global Medicine. Through the Dhablania and Kim Family Global Medicine & Health Fellowship, she’ll travel to Kampala, Uganda, to research barriers to prenatal care and maternal health.

https://t.co/joPVD1BoG9

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

USC student Aaryan Midha graduated w/ degrees in Health Promotion & Global Medicine. Through the Dhablania and Kim Family Global Medicine & Health Fellowship, he’ll travel to Lima to study congenital syphilis & improve outcomes for mothers and infants.

https://t.co/aCWkkodwNl

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

USC student Sophia Dettweiler graduated w/ degrees in Health Promotion & Global Medicine. Through the Dhablania and Kim Family Global Medicine & Health Fellowship, she’ll travel to Kolkata, India, to support menstrual health education & reduce stigma.

https://t.co/aCWkkodwNl

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

How do genetics and diet interact to influence colorectal cancer risk? New research led by PPHS PhD graduate Dr. Joel Sanchez-Mendez sheds light on the genetic factors behind the link between red meat consumption and colorectal cancer.

Full article: https://t.co/fPoWIoRgJl

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

Proud to see our faculty leading research that can inform public health policy and protect communities.

[Keck School of Medicine of USC @KECKSchool_USC]

Your vape flavor changes your genes more than how often you vape. @uscpphs researchers found 66.6% of vaping-related gene changes across 3,124 genes are driven by flavor and device type. Published in Frontiers in Oncology. https://t.co/wa0NNTmhOt

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

Check out our 2025–2026 annual report! Ranked #1 nationally in NIH funding in its field by Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, we continue to advance research & training that address urgent public health challenges locally & globally.

🔗 https://t.co/ktq0pWIPDZ

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

Alumna Nisha Lerdsuwanrut reflects on her environmental health research through EH MATTERS. During the EH MATTERS fellowship, the USC alumna studied how transportation infrastructure and air pollution shape health disparities in Los Angeles communities.

https://t.co/GcJvlQv0R6

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

Congratulations to Medha Sharma, MPH student and TSAPH scholarship recipient, for earning third place in the USC Libraries’ annual Research Award competition for her paper on telehealth use and asthma care outcomes in U.S. adults.

Learn more here: https://t.co/MHZPRDe0bK

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

🎓 Grad Spotlight: Yanchen Guo
MS Biostatistics

Yanchen developed methods to improve safety monitoring in clinical trials w/ delayed toxicity outcomes, helping trials continue w/out unnecessary pauses. She will pursue a PhD in Biostatistics focused on clinical trial methodology.

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

🎓 Grad Spotlight: Daniella Carrillo
MS Biostatistics

Daniella developed methods to detect spatial cell interactions in tissue data. Using statistical modeling, she explored spatial transcriptomics and plans to continue working in biostatistics and health disparities research.

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

🎓 Grad Spotlight: Anna Schenkel
MS Applied Biostatistics & Epidemiology

Anna researched how high school substance use impacts adolescent sleep. She applied epidemiologic and statistical methods to complete her thesis and plans to pursue a career in research and data analytics.

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

🎓 Grad Spotlight: Keyue Yin
MS Applied Biostatistics & Epidemiology

Keyue studied dose-escalation methods in Phase I clinical trials, identifying limitations in BOIN design through simulation studies in R. She plans to begin working as a statistical programmer after graduation.

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

🎓Grad Spotlight: Yuqing Li
MS Applied Biostatistics & Epidemiology

Yuqing studied gene expression using computational genomics and machine learning to better understand disease risk and biological variation. She will continue at PPHS USC to pursue a PhD in statistical genetics.

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

🌟 Grad Spotlight: Maya Ueoku 🌟

From mentee to Co-Director of the Keck Student Ambassador program, Maya made her mark through leadership, advocacy, and global health work.

Excited to see her future in public health! 🎓

[Population and Public Health Sciences at USC @uscpphs]

🎓 Grad Spotlight: Hannah G.

With a passion for advocacy and a focus on biostatistics & epidemiology, this MPH grad is driven to create change for vulnerable communities.

💬 “I chose public health to help create this change.”

Next up: travel + a future in clinical research.