Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences

In keeping with the theme of this year’s Women’s History Month, this series highlights the importance and impact of mentoring partnerships between department faculty and their mentees. Katherine Y. Tossas, Ph.D., M.S. is a health disparities researcher who focuses particularly on the identification of early cancer detection biomarkers. Her past research includes identifying and addressing […]

In keeping with the theme of this year’s Women’s History Month, this series highlights the importance and impact of mentoring partnerships between department faculty and their mentees. Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D. is a population scientist whose research focuses on reducing cancer disparities. She has prioritized work among racial/ethnic minorities in order to identify factors that […]

In keeping with the theme of this year’s Women’s History Month, this series highlights the importance and impact of mentoring partnerships between department faculty and their mentees. Kellie Carlyle, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed. specializes in health communication and health behavior theory; her research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of health communication campaigns, media portrayals […]

In keeping with the theme of this year’s Women’s History Month, this series highlights the importance and impact of mentoring partnerships between department faculty and their mentees. Dra. Dina García is a scholar, scientist, teacher, and mentor whose impact reaches far beyond the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Her independent research focuses on uncovering […]

In keeping with the theme of this year’s Women’s History Month, this series highlights the importance and impact of mentoring partnerships between department faculty and their mentees. Sunny Jung Kim, Ph.D. is an e-health communication scholar specializing in theory-based social technologies for health promotion and their impact on the social and psychological mechanisms of behavior […]

In keeping with the theme of this year’s Women’s History Month, this series highlights the importance and impact of mentoring partnerships between department faculty and their mentees. Maria Thomson, Ph.D. is a social and behavioral scientist with interdisciplinary training in anthropology and public and population health sciences. She is an experienced community-engaged researcher, having recently […]

School of Public Health experts review how interactive technology is supporting care for cancer and substance use – and issues that must be addressed. by Maggie Christ Virginia Commonwealth University researchers are examining how artificial intelligence can enhance public health. Sunny Jung Kim, Ph.D., assistant professor of social and behavioral sciences at VCU’s School of […]

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has been awarded a five-year, $9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to establish a pioneering Cancer Control Equity Research Center. This initiative aims to enhance the dissemination and implementation of health promotion and cancer prevention services for individuals and families residing in Virginia’s Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-administered income-based […]

Dr. Wright was honored at the 2024 Faculty Convocation on August 29th. Wright, an associate professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the School of Public Health, has earned a national reputation among the community of health disparity researchers and contributed to fostering and expanding VCU’s learning environment. She specializes in coalition […]

Dr. Brown will take over as President of the society at the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare to be held September 9th-13th. The International Association for Communication in Healthcare (EACH) is a professional society which promotes healthcare communication by providing resources and expertise for health communication education and encouraging networking between professionals. This September, […]