By Owen Fahey, Gili Schor, Madeline Day, Kaitlyn Chan, Pran Teelucksingh, Isabel Costas, Angelica Mroczek Illustration by Ella Olea Abstract: Brown University’s campus is composed of approximately 220 structures, some of which date back to 1770. Many of these structures lack the accessibility measures necessary for those living with a disability to thrive. This […]
Public Health Perspectives on Queer Liberation & the Necessity of Abolition
By Emilie Lum Illustration by Junyue Ma Why is it important to talk about abolition in the context of public health? I argue that to be a health advocate for health equity necessitates being an advocate for abolition. Abolition is the coalition of many movements to end all systems of oppression and to transform […]
Healthcare Systems During Wartimes
By Izzy Fish Conflict-related deaths have been increasing rapidly in the last decade.1 Since 2001, conflicts related to the U.S. military have produced the most combat casualties in the world.2 Service members are being sent home with PTSD, smoking habits that lead to cases of lung cancer and cardiac disease, and even marital discord and divorce.3 The number […]
Epidemic Depression and the Disregarded Danger of Big Tech
By Daniel Cheong Humans are social creatures. That’s how it’s been for a long time. From the Paleolithic cavemen to the warring social classes of medieval Europe, there has been a never-ending social connection between humans that has defined our species. However, recent innovations from the past century are changing this. The growth of technology […]
Access to High-Quality Healthcare in the United States for Chinese-American Immigrants
By Dylan Lai As a child of two Chinese immigrants, I have had many first-hand experiences of the existence and persistence of health misinformation in the Chinese-American community. One of the most standout cases of this is my mother’s continued insistence on the danger and harms of monosodium glutamate (MSG), a common flavor enhancer, on […]
Cognitive Impairment in Public Health: Exploring the Impact of Forgetfulness Syndrome on Human Potential
By Krish Shah From providing the ability to communicate instantaneously via call or text to life-saving medical devices, smartphones, and other electronic devices have become essential aspects of life. Thus, we must analyze and create safeguards against the impacts of increased technology usage on the brain, especially regarding the long-term psychological effects that will inevitably […]
Tuberculosis: The Ugly Economic Practices Behind Screening for the Deadly Disease
By Derrick Kang Illustration by Junyue Ma Killing an estimated 4,300 people each day, tuberculosis continues to ravage populations around the globe. Annually, the number of deaths reaches close to 1.6 million.1 The cruel irony is that tuberculosis (TB) is curable and has been for nearly 100 years.2 Many of the people affected by TB today don’t […]
What Are Forever Chemicals, and How May We Limit Our Exposure?
By Amelia Wieland Illustration by Junyue Ma Picture this: it is a typical rainy November afternoon. As you get ready for the day, you reach for your favorite raincoat, a comfy sweater, a bottle of water, and a snack. What you might not realize is that each of these items in your mass produced tote […]
Incarceration and Health in the US
By Izzy Fish “Guilty.” For many, this word is a death sentence, no matter how short the prison time is. A sentencing, no matter the length, is not just a matter of physical confinement to most defendants in the United States. It’s a matter of physical health, mental health, access to health care, future […]
Rhode Island’s Affordable Housing Crisis and Its Role in Determining Health
By Emily Mrakovcic To students attending Brown, Rhode Island is a charming state with cozy residential avenues and picturesque downtown shops. However, life on College Hill is far from the reality that many Rhode Islanders face. The state is currently amidst a homelessness and affordable housing crisis that has impacted an increasing percentage of low […]
Using Novel Telemedicine Interventions to Tackle the Diabetes Epidemic Crippling the Navajo Nation in the Southwestern United States
Illustration by Nikitha Bhimireddy Article by Wesley Peng Diabetes is a treatable and preventable disease, but it is still the fourth leading cause of death in the Navajo Nation.1 It is one of the leading factors contributing to disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and the prevalence has been on the rise ever since 1965.2 In the Navajo […]
Beyond the Food: How Prison Nutrition Policy Contributes to Lasting Chronic Disease
Illustration by Punnava Alam Article by Parisa Afsharian The United States is facing an epidemic of chronic disease both inside and outside of its flawed carceral system. A 2011-12 study of state and federal prisoners reported that half of those incarcerated have a chronic health condition—including cancer, high blood pressure, stroke-related problems, diabetes, heart-related problems, […]
The Road to Better Health: Road Traffic Deaths and Injuries – Transportation as a Social Determinant of Health
Illustration by Raphel Awa Article by Arenal Haut About 1.35 million lives are cut short every year due to road traffic injuries, “the leading killer” of people between 5 and 29 years old.1 An additional 20 to 50 million people suffer injuries every year.2 Death on the Roads, a data visualization tool by the World […]
Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Healthcare
Illustration by Salma Eldeeb Article by William Borges It was the early 2000s at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF). In the first year of her graduate work in medical sociology, Jennifer Nazareno was summoned by her senior faculty advisor. He wanted to see her in his office. It was time to talk about Jennifer’s […]
Framing Learning Disabilities and Disproportionality: Medicalization as an Obstacle of Progress
Illustration by Katie Gu Article by Olivia First Black students have been overrepresented in learning disability diagnoses for almost two decades. This places a disproportionate population in restrictive, stigmatized learning environments that teach derivative curricula, produce higher dropout rates, and can affect individuals across their life course. The educational community has attempted to address this […]
Health Beyond Lockup: Alabama Inmates, Re-entry, and Medicaid Expansion
Illustration by Stella Tsogtjargal Article by Caleb Ellis (caleb_ellis@brown.edu) Introduction, Background, and Context: Incarcerated individuals are more likely to experience chronic and physical conditions such as HIV/AIDS, serious mental illnesses, and substance use disorders compared to the general population.1 Tuberculosis is four times higher among inmates than the general population.1 Hepatitis is over eight […]
Maternal mortality in Sierra Leone
Illustration by Punnava Alam Article by Amy Qiao As Isata Dumbuya, the director of reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health at Partners in Health in Sierra Leone, states, “Every time we cannot give a pregnant woman what she needs, it’s a tragedy.” However, it is an unfortunately common tragedy in Sierra Leone, the third […]
The Ethical Intricacies of Transgender Surgery
Illustration by Taimi Xu Article by Leyla Giordano Over the past decade, the transgender population has increased in visibility dramatically in the United States. The medical field has made progress when it comes to access to gender-affirming surgery; however, the progress has not rid society of discrimination and bias towards the transgender population, and […]
Sex Binarism and the Intersex Pediatric Surgery Crisis
Illustration by May Qi Article by Aisha Tipnis Intersex variations are widely medicalized and often surgically altered to fit “male” or “female” phenotypes. These surgeries can have serious complications physically and psychologically, and because infants cannot provide informed consent, pediatric genital surgery is particularly problematic. Despite intersex activism and scientific literature indicating that these […]