HPRC Quarterly Highlights: Q1 2026

We hope you will visit the links and learn more about these updates and resources! 

Collaborate with Partners to Identify Evidence-Based Interventions  

CalFresh Healthy Living-CHOICES Project 

This quarter, we completed our work modeling strategies to promote healthy eating and active living, using the CHOICES methods and a microsimulation model with local health departments in California. We were pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with these local health agencies and their partners. You will find the results of several new cost-effectiveness analyses completed with these teams of public health leaders. These include briefs focused on sugary drink taxes and fruit and vegetable incentives in Santa Clara County, briefs evaluating the impacts of sugary drink taxes in the city of Los Angeles and in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, and strategies that encourage safe and active trips to school in parts of San Mateo County and in Ravenswood and South San Francisco.     

More New Publications from PRC Researchers and Our Research Partners 

In a recent research paper, ‘Cost-Effectiveness and Health Equity Improvements From Excluding Sugar-Sweetened Beverages From the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,’ researchers highlight data suggesting that excluding sugar-sweetened beverages from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could be a cost-saving strategy to improve health and health equity across income, racial, and ethnic groups. Learn More  

Collaborative research partners focused on school water promotion recently published a study examining the cost of the Water First School Water Promotion and Access Intervention, offering valuable insights for schools and stakeholders to plan and implement effective school-based initiatives that increase access to drinking water. Learn more 

Researchers estimated the contribution of meals and snacks provided through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a federal food assistance program that supports children’s nutrition. Their research suggests CACFP meals and snacks promote nutritious diets for young children by increasing energy-adjusted intakes of dairy and whole grains, while decreasing energy-adjusted intakes of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars compared to what children consume elsewhere. Learn more. 

Offer Resources & Training Opportunities 

New Resources on Drinking Water in Schools Toolkit 

We consistently work to share new resources, tools, and peer-reviewed publications that align with our Center’s priority areas (healthy eating, active living, sugary drinks, drinking water access and intake, and unhealthy food and beverage marketing). This quarter, along with our Nutrition and Obesity Research and Evaluation Network partners, we launched our newest toolkit focused on drinking water in schools: https://bit.ly/school-water-toolkit 

Safe, appealing drinking water is essential for student health, focus, and overall well-being—yet access varies across schools. A newly updated toolkit equips school leaders, nutrition professionals, operations & facilities, and partners with practical steps to improve water safety, appeal, and promotion. From model wellness policy language to youth-led campaigns and infrastructure checklists, these resources support a culture of healthy hydration in every school. 💧 

Reminder: The public is invited to join the Monday Nutrition Seminars at HSPH.  Learn more and see upcoming events  

Build Capacity for Conducting Community-Engaged Research 

This fall, we celebrated the achievements of our newest group of 10 Leaders in Health. The Leaders in Health (LIH) program enhances community health efforts through introductory training in public health research and science. The program aims to build the capacity of our community partners by providing participants with a foundation in community-based participatory research, program planning, and evaluation. Learn more. 

Visit our archive of HPRC quarterly highlights & annual news stories

Lab Members

Sarosiek Laboratory Members (Current)

• Kristopher Sarosiek, PhD
  Principal Investigator
  Co-Director, JBL Center for Radiation Sciences
  Associate Professor of Radiation Biology and Cell Death
  






• Shatha AlShehri
  Graduate Student (2025 – Present)
  





• Christopher Clark
  Graduate Student (2024 – Present)
  





• Kiwi Florido
  Graduate Student (2020 – Present)
  Co-mentored with Lee Rubin, Dept of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology
  Master’s Degree in Pathology: Case Western Reserve University
  Undergraduate Degree: California State University – San Bernadino
  View Kiwi’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory




• Zintis Inde, PhD
  Postdoctoral Fellow (2020 – Present)
  Graduate Degree: Stanford University
  View Zintis’ Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory






• Lissah Johnson
  Graduate Student (2021 – Present)
  Undergraduate Studies: University of California Santa Barbara; University of Redlands (Redlands, CA)
  View Lissah’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory





• Sebastian Keppler
  Technician (2025 – Present)
  






• Marwa Osman
  Graduate Student (2022 – Present)
  Undergraduate Degree: University of Colorado at Boulder
  View Marwa’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory






• Xingping Qin, MD, PhD
  Postdoctoral Fellow (2020 – Present)
  View Xingping’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory






• Oyku Sumer
  Graduate Student (2023 – Present)
  Undergraduate Degree: Middle East Technical University
  Graduate Degree: University of Heidelberg in Germany
  View Oyku’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory






• Atomu Yamaguchi, PhD
  Postdoctoral Fellow (2024 – Present)
  Graduate Degree: Kobe University
  View Atomu’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory






• Zijang “Jane” Zhu, PhD
  Graduate Student (2022 – 2025)
  Postdoctoral Fellow (2025 – Present)
  View Jane’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory

Sarosiek Laboratory Members (Alumni)

• Anna Abruzzo
  Undergraduate Summer Intern (2019)
  








• Kadiatou Bah
  Undergraduate Summer Intern (2023)
  








• Jonathan Choiniere, PhD
  Postdoctoral Fellow (2021 – 2023)
  View Jon’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory







• Eva Finke
  Undergraduate Summer Intern (2017)
  







• Cameron Fraser
  Laboratory Technician (2016 – 2023)
  View Cam’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory








• Sophie Fredberg
  Undergraduate Summer Intern (2023)
  








• Gaurav Joshi, PhD
  Postdoctoral Fellow (2016 – 2019)
  View Gaurav’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory








• May Jung
  Undergraduate Thesis Student (2021 – 2025)
  







• Leah Martin
  Masters Student (2021 – 2023)
  









• Pilar Ibarra Noriega
  Undergraduate Summer Intern (2022)
  








• Adam Presser
  Laboratory Technician (2017 – 2020)
  View Adam’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory








• Francesca Picucci
  Visiting Scholar (2023 – 2024)
  View Francesca’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory






• Prithul Sen
  JBL Center Manager (2023 – 2024)
  






• Maura Sieller
  JBL Center Manager (2016 – 2018)
  









• Rumani Singh, PhD
  Postdoctoral Fellow (2016 – 2021)
  Undergraduate Degree: Guru Nanak Dev University (Punjab, India)
  Graduate Degree: Tsukuba University (Tsukuba, Japan)
  View Rumani’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory






• Johan Spetz, PhD
  Postdoctoral Fellow (2017 – 2023)
  Graduate Degree: University of Gothenburg (Gothenburg, Sweden)
  View Johan’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory








• Kaitlyn Webster, PhD
  Postdoctoral Fellow (2018 – 2020)
  Undergraduate Degree: Smith College (Northampton, MA)
  Graduate Degree: University of Massachusetts Boston (Boston, MA)
  






• Stacey Yu
  Graduate Student (2018 – 2023)
  Undergraduate Degree: University of California, Berkeley
  View Stacey’s Publications from the Sarosiek Laboratory

2026 MCH Symposium

Report – Geographic Accessibility of Eating Disorders Treatment Centers in the United States: A Nationwide Mapping Study

February 2026

Access to eating disorder treatment (EDT) services varies widely across the United States, with significant geographic gaps in both availability and level of care. This analysis mapped 387 treatment centers nationwide, distinguishing between in-person and telehealth services. In-person care is concentrated along the East and West Coasts, leaving many Central and Southern states with limited or no local options. While telehealth helps extend reach across state lines, access remains uneven and may be constrained by broadband availability and licensing policies, contributing to ongoing disparities in care.

Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Consortium Representing Eating Disorders Care (REDC); the U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration (training grant T76MC00001, SBA); and, in part, the National Science Foundation (NSF Award No. 181143, LL). We thank the National Alliance for Eating Disorders for technical assistance with the Find ED Help database.

Citation
Liu L, Huo C, Beccia AL, Richmond TK, Austin SB. Geographic Accessibility of Eating Disorders Treatment Centers in the United States: A Nationwide Mapping Study. Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders. Boston, MA; 2026.

Connecticut: Out of Kids’ Hands

Legislative Updates

We are pleased to share that Senate Bill 227 (SB 227) has been introduced this session by the General Law Committee. The bill would add much-needed age restrictions on the sale of over-the-counter diet pills and weight-loss and muscle-building dietary supplements so they can’t be sold to minors. Most recently, the bill had a public hearing before the General Law Committee on Monday, Feb 23, with a strong showing of community supporters!

Watch the legislative briefing entitled, “Understanding Eating Disorders: Prevention, Policy, and Pathways to Care,” which was held on Wednesday, March 25.

We thank the General Law Committee and advocates for their leadership on this important effort to protect young people in Connecticut.

Bill Information

Introduced during the current legislative session, SB 227 is focused on restricting youth access to over-the-counter diet pills and weight-loss and muscle-building dietary supplements. The bill is currently awaiting committee action and is under review in the General Law Committee.

Helpful Materials

Communication Research

The Harvard Opinion Research Program (HORP) has teamed up with the de Beaumont Foundation’s Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) to conduct robust research aimed at helping public health communicators across the country. Check out their new 2026 Action Guide for governmental public health communicators below.

Overcoming Challenges & Leveraging Strengths: An Action Guide for Communicators at Public Health Agencies

Authored by: SteelFisher GK, Findling MG, Prus EC, Harvard Opinion Research Program & Public Health Communications Collaborative

February 2026
This Action Guide is for governmental public health communicators who want to strengthen the strategy and operations behind their communications departments. Whether you’re a department of one or 25, this guide offers practical tools to help you identify opportunities, address challenges, and build a stronger foundation for impactful public health communications.

This Action Guide is based on a rigorous, national qualitative study among public health agency communications staff. Drawing on varied experiences from communicators in agencies at all levels – from state to city to regional to local, with highly variable governance, staffing, and budgets – the study was able to identify key commonalities: 14 key factors that communicators believe have important influence on their effectiveness.

What’s Inside:

CHAPTER 1: The Political Environment

CHAPTER 2: Morale

CHAPTER 3: Organizational Position

CHAPTER 4: Bureaucracy

CHAPTER 5: Funding Setup

CHAPTER 6: Staffing Structure

CHAPTER 7: Community Connections

CHAPTER 8: Outside Communications Support

CHAPTER 9: Relationships with Leadership

CHAPTER 10: Relationships with Programs

CHAPTER 11: Relationships Among Comms Staff

CHAPTER 12: Relationships with the Media

CHAPTER 13: Strategic Authority

CHAPTER 14: Technological Sophistication

Lab News

Affiliates

Alyssa Bilinski

Peterson Family Assistant Professor of Health Policy Brown University

Alyssa Bilinski, PhD, is the Peterson Family Assistant Professor of Health Policy at Brown University School of Public Health in the Departments of Health Services, Policy & Practice and Biostatistics. Her research bridges simulation modeling and observational causal inference, synthesizing these approaches to support policy decision-making and identify interventions that can most efficiently improve population health and well-being, with a particular focus on applications in infectious disease and maternal health. Her work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Annals of Internal Medicine, and covered by major news outlets, such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. She has also collaborated with state, local, and federal public health officials to help translate her research into practice and served as a committee member for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dr. Bilinski received a PhD in Health Policy (Evaluative Science & Statistics) and an AM in Statistics from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, an MSc in Medical Statistics from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine as a Marshall Scholar, and a BA from Yale College.

Contact

Ted Cohen

Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases) Yale University

Dr. Cohen is an infectious disease epidemiologist whose primary research focus is tuberculosis. He is particularly interested in understanding how drug-resistance and medical comorbidities such as HIV frustrate current efforts to control tuberculosis epidemics, with a goal of developing more effective approaches to limit the morbidity caused by this pathogen. 

Cheryl Johnson

Innovation Lead, HIV, TB, Hepatitis, and STI Programmes World Health Organization

Dr Cheryl Case Johnson is Innovation Lead for HIV, TB, hepatitis and STI programmes at the World Health Organization, where her work sits at the interface of epidemiology, implementation science, and global health policy. Her research focuses on the design, evaluation, and scale-up of innovative strategies, including self-care, multiplex diagnostics and integrated service delivery, and the application of digital and artificial intelligence–enabled systems in low- and middle-income countries. Through her work she has led and contributed to numerous WHO normative guidelines and peer-reviewed publications. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Masters in Anthropology with certification in Public Health from Georgia State University.

Improving Public Health Through Climate Action

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – India Research Center is pleased to organize a workshop titled “Improving Public Health Through Climate Action” in Mumbai, on June 9-10, 2026.

This workshop is ideal for professionals and researchers in public health and policy, interested in climate and health solutions.

Application Deadline: April 12, 2026

Climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is a current public health crisis. For health professionals in India, the intersection of environmental shifts and disease patterns presents a critical challenge, and a unique opportunity for leadership. This workshop is designed to equip medical and public health professionals and researchers with the tools to more actively engage stakeholders in climate policy to improve the health of the community.

Understanding the Impact

We will describe the mechanisms through which climate change, air pollution, and ecological degradation impact human health, and review the latest global research alongside emerging localized evidence.

From Research to Policy: Case Studies in Action

To illustrate how data can drive systemic change, we will present three ongoing high-impact projects:

• National Policy Integration: How researchers are using climate modeling to quantify the health “co-benefits” of carbon emission reduction through energy policy choices, directly influencing India’s national climate strategies.
• Urban Transformation: Discuss how health data is being leveraged to support city mayors in Delhi and Chennai to accelerate the transition to a cleaner energy grid.
• Rural Intervention: A case study evaluating the behavioral and economic barriers, and health outcomes resulting from the adoption of clean cook stoves in a rural coal mining community.

Empowering Your Practice

The core of this workshop is interactive. We invite you to consider: How can your clinical or research expertise support evidence-based decision-making? Participants will brainstorm how to utilize existing data to engage with stakeholders (from local panchayats to national ministries) to protect the communities they serve.

Objectives

• Understand the impact of climate change on health
• Discuss opportunities to use community-engaged research to support evidence-based decision-making at different levels of government
• Consider ways in which climate policy can improve the health of communities you serve

Speakers

Dr. Gaurab Basu

Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health

Mr. Markus Berensson

Head of Mitigation Research, C40 Cities

Dr. Poornima Prabhakaran

Director, Centre for Health Analytics Research and Trends, Ashoka University

Mr. Vaibhav Chowdhary

Director, Ashoka Centre for a People-centric Energy Transition, Ashoka University

About the Faculty

Dr. Gaurab Basu, MD, MPH is a physician and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and assistant professor of global health & social medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS).

At Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, he is an assistant professor of environmental health and faculty at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE) and Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. His work focuses on the intersection of climate change, global health equity, human rights, medical education, and public policy.

Dr. Basu currently serves as senior advisor of the climate and health program at the Child in Need Institute (CINI), an India based NGO, and previously worked for the Gates Institute, Partners in Health, and Last Mile Health. His NIH funded projects incorporate community engagement and research translation into climate and health research. He is on the board of directors of the Environmental League of Massachusetts and the advisory council for the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health. He also serves on the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector and the Boston Green Ribbon Commission’s Healthcare Working Group.

In 2021, Dr. Basu was named to the Grist 50 list of national climate leaders. In 2018, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation selected him to their Culture of Health Leadership fellowship. Dr. Basu served as an advisor to the Massachusetts Governor’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) as a member of the Implementation Advisory Committee and the Climate Science Advisory Panel. He was on the city of Cambridge Mayor’s Climate Crisis Working Group and its Net-Zero Climate Task Force. His work has been featured by the New York Times, NPR’s All Things Considered, Boston Globe, CNN, Scientific American, BMJ, and Grist, among others.

Systematic review on adolescent anaemia in India

Dr. Rohan Shah is affiliated with the D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre and will be mentored by Professor Wafaie Fawzi, Richard Saltonstall Professor of Population Sciences, and Professor of Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Global Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Through the Narotam Sekhsaria Fellowship, Dr. Shah aims to synthesize existing evidence to inform future research and policy about how to improve current anaemia control programmes in India.

The project will focus on adolescent anaemia in India and other LMICs, employing a systematic review approach to evaluate iron supplementation programmes, identify key barriers and facilitators, and assess current intervention strategies. Research findings from this work will help address current evidence gaps in India to design and implement future projects to address adolescent anaemia and improve public health outcomes.

The Narotam Sekhsaria Fellowship at the  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – India Research Center is a 2-year fellowship, supporting early-stage investigators (ESIs) in public health in India to work with and receive mentorship from faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on a defined research project and gain experience conducting research in public health.