illustration of a person navigating the digital universe

Momentum

October 31, 2026

Moving Forward at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health

HONORS

Keyes Named Director of Brody Center

Katherine M. Keyes, MPH ’06, PhD ’10, professor of Epidemiology and a leader in psychiatric epidemiology and population mental health research, has been appointed inaugural director of the Susan Lasker Brody Center for Population Mental Health. With an extraordinary record of research, administrative, and mentorship excellence, Keyes will guide the Brody Center, dedicated in 2025 in honor of Susan Lasker Brody, MPH ’97, through the generosity of the Susan Brody Revocable Trust.

A New Role for “PopFam”

The Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health will serve as the Secretariat for the African POWER Consortium, a global collaborative dedicated to advancing women’s empowerment and human well-being across Africa via actionable policy change. PopFam will provide an institutional base, amplify African voices, expand partnerships, and ensure that evidence from Africa informs the global agenda.

Fullilove’s Honorary Degree

Robert E. Fullilove, EdD, associate dean for community and minority affairs and professor of Sociomedical Sciences, was awarded an honorary degree of humane letters by the Bard College Board of Trustees. He was honored for his profound contribution as a public health leader and educator, for his long-standing commitment to the Bard Prison Initiative, and for championing health equity for all, including incarcerated individuals.

Martins Recognized for Mentorship

Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, professor of Epidemiology and vice dean for faculty, received the 2026 Robert Balster Mentorship Award from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence for her sustained and meaningful mentorship of trainees and early-career investigators, and her dedication to cultivating diverse talent and promoting impactful research.

Belsky Is a Longevity Leader

Daniel Belsky, PhD, associate professor of Epidemiology in the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, has been named to Business Insider’s 2026 Rising Stars of Longevity, recognizing “those with ambitious ideas who can meaningfully improve our lives.”

Magic Grant for Kleiman

Norman Kleiman, PhD, MS, associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences, received the Magic Grant from the Brown Institute for Media Innovation, a collaboration
between Columbia Journalism School and Stanford Engineering. The grant supports projects combining journalistic insight and technical innovation.

NEW AI DEGREE ANSWERS INDUSTRY NEED

At a time of unprecedented demand for talented grads with skills in artificial intelligence (AI), the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health is partnering with other Columbia University schools to offer a new Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) program. Housed in the School of Engineering, the 30-credit degree path, launched this fall, includes four core AI courses in computer science and engineering. Students also choose four courses in range of concentrations, including public health (from Columbia Mailman), medicine, the arts, statistics, and architecture. Electives and an optional capstone project working with industry partners round out the offerings.

While many students in the program have a computer science background, the MSAI is designed to accommodate those from other disciplines and career backgrounds. It has both an in- person, on-campus version and a fully online option. Both share the same rigorous requirements; the online program features a high-touch, cohort-based approach to enhance the digital learning experience.

“The intersection of AI and public health is a frontier that holds immense promise for transforming healthcare and promoting well-being on a global scale,” says Kathleen Sikkema, PhD, the Barbara and Bruce P. Dohrenwend Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia Mailman. “This novel program will prepare leaders who can harness AI’s potential to advance public health. I am excited about the transformative impact this initiative will have on both academia and real-world health outcomes.”

5 STEPS TO MORE POERFUL PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS

Proven public health interventions are often deployed one at a time. A new study in Annals of Epidemiology showcases an innovative method designed by the School’s Sociomedical Sciences researchers to increase the use and impact of evidence-based practices by combining them. The Collaborative Method for Building Interventions from Existing Evidence-Based Interventions helps public health practitioners merge existing, proven interventions into a streamlined program.

The research team applied the method to develop a multicomponent intervention for people with HIV who drink heavily. The program, which leveraged existing social support from friends and family plus smartphone technology, was designed to both reduce alcohol use and help participants succeed in HIV care. “Many people experience complex and interconnected health issues. Interventions that bundle proven strategies are a promising way to address real-world needs more efficiently,” says Sociomedical Sciences Associate Professor Justin Knox, PhD.

Meeting the Enrollment Challenge

Grad school always comes with concerns about tuition and the degree’s return on investment. But the fall 2026 semester has seen this compounded by questions about trust in the field of public health, as well as challenges brought about by changes in government financial aid. Applications and enrollments at public health schools have declined. “We’re doing better than some in terms of MPH degree enrollments, but are generally in line with other schools,” says Robert Sommo, associate dean for enrollment management.

SUPPORTING OUR WORK

Transformational gifts and grants contributed to
more than $26 million raised in the year ending June 30, 2026.

Wellcome awarded two grants to Environmental Health Sciences researchers: $3.4 million to Diane Ré, PhD, associate professor, to examine the impact of heat and air pollution on the brain in Latin America; and $2.3 million to Robbie M. Parks, PhD, assistant professor, to design solutions for impacts of climate-related extremes on incarcerated people
in the United States.

Sanford Lazarowics, a 1952 graduate of the Columbia University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, bequeathed $1.45 million to Columbia Mailman School, ensuring its students, faculty, and community have the training and resources needed to drive progress in public health.

The Hearst Foundations provided a $625,000 grant to the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center for research developing gold-standard measures of health that transition from a focus on diseases to a broader perspective on health span.

Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, donated $250,000 to launch the Public Health Governance Academy (PHGA) within the Center for Public Health Implementation. PHGA aims to build healthier and more resilient communities across the U.S. by delivering effective training to local elected officials and public health professionals, fostering stronger collaboration and leadership in public health.

To discuss the power of a leadership gift, contact Laura Sobel at ls3875@cumc.columbia.edu.

black graduation caps with a blue background

The federal government’s cuts to public health–related agencies haven’t helped. And its announcement in late 2025 that public health would not be considered a “professional degree” like law or medicine lowered the ceiling on federal student loan amounts for those pursuing a public health education.

But public health grads are still very much in demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 16 percent increase in need for epidemiologists through 2034, with biostatistics and health education careers growing, too. The School’s enrollment team has also held considerably more events this year to help students engage with department heads and tour the campus. A relatively new Mailman Messengers program directly connects admitted students with volunteer students and alumni who share demographic qualities and interests. Financial aid team members meet with students one on one to address questions. “Our events focus on the campus sense of community,” says Sommo. “We’re telling people, ‘This is not a time to shy away. It’s a time to dive in and make things better—that’s what public health professionals do.’”

A Shift in Campus Sexual Health Prevention Practices

Almost a decade after a landmark study on campus sexual behaviors, the impact of the research and subsequent book, Sexual Citizens, has extended far and wide. The Sexual Health Initiative to Foster Transformation (SHIFT) study, co-led by Sociomedical Sciences Professors Jennifer S. Hirsch, PhD, and Claude Ann Mellins, PhD, has helped to transform the understanding of campus sexual assault. Cornell University and the University of Michigan have launched undergraduate courses based on Sexual Citizens. A course at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, has also centered on the SHIFT framework. Columbia has implemented recommendations based on the research. “Our goal was to transform prevention by helping people see the social roots of campus sexual violence. It’s gratifying to see schools using our research to ground their prevention efforts,” says Hirsch.

This article was first published in the 2026-2027 issue of Columbia Public Health Magazine.