May 3, 2012 – How BU’s Epidemiology Research Leads to Public Health Awareness

In April, BU Today published a five part series on how Boston University’s various departments are taking on cancer research. The “BU Takes on Cancer” series spotlights the research and work of faculty members from various schools and departments within Boston University.

Part 1 of the series subtitled Racial Disparities is of specific interest to health communication.  The article discusses the work of Julie Palmer and Lynn Rosenberg, associate director of the Slone Epidemiology Centre and a professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health.   Palmer and Rosenberg collaborated on the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS).  The study focused on how cancers can behave differently in different populations based on race and ethnicity.

The article further highlights how BWHS has impacted health communication efforts.  A public health awareness initiative by the Cancer Centre trains certain residents of Boston-area public housing in screening and outreach to function as health navigators.  Researchers and health communication professionals develop messaging that is easier to understand using the medical data generated by BWHS and other studies. These messages are relayed to the health navigators to use in their daily counseling and outreach efforts to educate and inform the public about healthy living.

For more details regarding the BU Takes on Cancer, visit http://www.bu.edu/today/bu-takes-on-cancer/.