The Academy has served as the National Program Office for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars (HSS) program, since 2007. Now in its last two years, HSS is an intensive and highly competitive interdisciplinary post-doctoral program, in which 12 scholars (selected through a national competition each year) receive two years of training at one of four universities: Columbia University, Harvard University, University of California (San Francisco and Berkeley), and University of Wisconsin-Madison. A few examples of scholar and alumni work in 2014 follow.

Research

Amani Nuru-Jeter (2003-2005) led a high-profile study that was published in the International Journal of Health Services, which highlighted the stark racial differences in the effects of the widening gap between the rich and poor. It found that greater income inequality is linked to more deaths among African Americans, but the effect is reversed among white Americans, who experienced fewer deaths.

Cynthia Colen (2005-2007) received widespread international attention (including New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, and numerous television shows) for her study that appeared in the journal Social Science & Medicine. The study found the beneficial effects attributed to breastfeeding in previous studies to be overstated due to selection bias in those studies, i.e., not controlling for factors such as age, race, and income that can affect both breastfeeding and health outcomes.

Patrick Sharkey (2007-2009) was highly sought after throughout and following the highly publicized Ferguson hearings in 2014, due to his impressive work at the intersection of race, crime and poverty. His book, “Stuck in Place: Urban Neighborhoods and the End of Progress toward Racial Equality,” was named one of the best books of 2014 by The Huffington Post.

 

Grants and Awards

Christina A. Roberto (2012-2014) received a 2014 Early-Career Research Grant from The Obesity Society to evaluate how a policy to limit sugary drink container size influences consumers’ perceptions and eating behaviors during a restaurant meal. The goal of this work is to provide timely and valuable data to both scientists and policymakers.

Seth Holmes (2009-2011) won the Margaret Mead Award, which is offered jointly by the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and the Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA), and is designed to recognize a person clearly and integrally associated with research and/or practice in anthropology.

Duana Fullwiley (2005-2007) was awarded the 2014 Robert B. Textor Prize for Excellence in Anticipatory Anthropology, for her book “The Enculturated Gene: Sickle Cell Health Politics and Biological Difference in West Africa,” which was cited as an excellent example of translational medicine in its synergistic view of both the science of gene expression and the exploration of disease conceptualization in multiple stakeholder groups.

Mehret Mandefro (2007-2009) received the Image Award from WomenWerk, which honors International Women’s Day and was founded to change the way women discuss, perceive, and overcome challenges.

Website: www.healthandsocietyscholars.org