An international team of researchers, led by Associate Professor of Biostatistics Leontine Alkema and her former Ph.D. student Fengqing Chao, developed a new estimation method for assessing natural variations in the sex ratio at birth (SRB) for all countries in the world. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers found natural variation in regional baseline SRBs that differ from the previously held standard baseline male-to-female ratio of 1.05 for most regions. They also identified 12 countries with strong evidence of sex ratio at birth imbalances, or sex ratio inflation, due to sex-selective abortions and a preference for sons.
News
April 16, 2019
Kinesiology researchers have received funding to compare the effects of tai chi and mindfulness meditation on both the physical balance and psychosocial well-being of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). In a pilot study with 30 participants who have mild to moderate MS symptoms, researchers at the Motor Control Lab of Richard van Emmerik, professor of kinesiology, will use a one-year, $54,972 pilot grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to measure the immediate and ongoing benefits of the two mind-body practices.
April 12, 2019
Researchers in the Physical Activity and Health Laboratory are seeking men ages 75-85 and women 81-85 to participate in a study to measure walking steps during treadmill exercise and during activities in daily life. Participation in the study involves one to three visits to the Physical Activity and Health Laboratory on campus for a total time commitment of 4 to 4.5 hours.
April 11, 2019
When it comes to addressing the national opioid crisis, most of the research has focused on the physical health risks faced by people with opioid use disorder, such as overdose and infectious disease. For the first time, public health researchers led by Elizabeth Evans, assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Policy, have examined the impact of treating opioid use disorder on the risk for arrest and incarceration, comparing the effects of two different medications approved for the condition.
April 11, 2019
Sara Mamo, assistant professor of communication disorders, will give a talk on “Healthy Aging and the Impact of Age-Related Hearing Loss” at the Retired Faculty Association meeting on Wednesday, April 17, at 11 a.m. in the Campus Center 162-167.
April 10, 2019
The Western Massachusetts Health Equity Network and UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences hosted the 2019 Health Equity Policy Assembly on April 10, 2019.
April 4, 2019
Police officers, students, mental health professionals and community leaders gathered in Old Chapel Thursday, April 4, to hear experts at the School of Public Health and Health Sciences Dean’s Symposium on suicide prevention.
April 2, 2019
The School of Public Health and Health Sciences held its 22nd Annual Research Day on April 2, 2019, in the Campus Center Auditorium. Epidemiology doctoral student Christine Langton took home first prize for her research.
March 27, 2019
Kimberley Geissler, Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Policy, and Jacquie Kurland, Associate Professor of Communication Disorders, have been named 2019-20 Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) Scholars. ISSR's mission is to promote excellence in social science research, and the Scholars Program is one of its key strategies for strengthening social science infrastructure at UMass Amherst.
March 27, 2019
An article criticizing the state of Illinois for doing little to address gambling addiction after video gambling was made legal there in 2012, quotes Rachel Volberg, Research Associate Professor of Epidemiology and principal investigator of the Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts (SEIGMA) study.
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