‘Affordable’ Pittsburgh doesn’t have enough affordable housing – here’s why

This article was written by Selena Ortiz, associate professor of health policy and administration and demography, SSRI Affiliate, and PRI Associate for The Conversation. Pittsburgh is widely regarded as a relatively affordable place to live. Overall, housing and living costs remain below national…

Shared decision making with child’s physician less common for immigrant parents

For people who grew up in the United States, navigating health care can be complicated and intimidating, according to Sawsan Salah, a doctoral candidate in biobehavioral health at Penn State. Those complications may be magnified when a person is unfamiliar with the culture of medical care in the U.…

Not all heart attack patients receive the same type of care, researchers find

While acute myocardial infarction — commonly referred to as a heart attack — remains a leading cause of death in the United States, deaths have decreased significantly over the past two decades in part due to improved treatment methods, according to Charleen Hsuan, associate professor of health…

Why Social Science? - Because Reimagining Science Requires Behavioral and Social Scientists at the Table, Too

By Sam Goldstein, Science for Good Nearly 40% of deaths in the United States are preventable through changes in behavior. Modifiable risk factors like smoking, poor diet, inactivity, or alcohol use are contributors to many cancers. For children and teens ages 1 to 17, the leading cause of death is…

Q&A: Understanding cost and benefit for publicly funded health programs

Recent laws instituted in the United States substantially cut funding to many government programs, especially those related to health or social well-being. As a health economist, Dennis Scanlon, distinguished professor of health policy and administration at Penn State, studies the financial impact…

PRI T32 Postdoctoral Positions Available

SSRI's Population Research Institute (PRI) anticipates openings for two T32 Postdoctoral Scholars, one NICHD-funded trainee in Social Environments and Population Health, and another NIA-funded trainee in Emerging Disparities in Population Health. Owing to sponsor requirements, applicants must be U.…