Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Swahn comes to VCU from Kennesaw State University where she served as dean and professor of Wellstar College of Health and Human Services. By Mike Porter Virginia Commonwealth University today announced that Monica Swahn, Ph.D., has been named dean of the VCU School of Public Health, effective July 1, 2025. The Board of Visitors will officially consider […]

Every April, Cancer Control Month honors cancer survivors and those currently fighting cancer. This month of recognition focuses on cancer prevention and treatment as well as quality of life for those diagnosed with cancer and cancer survivors. Cancer Prevention and Control is a major area of research in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. […]

By Paul Brockwell Jr. Photos by Daniel Sangjib Min An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. What Benjamin Franklin first said centuries ago is a truth recognized for decades by faculty on the MCV Campus who knew there was a missing piece to VCU’s academic enterprise in health sciences: public health.  In […]

The Society of Behavioral Medicine held its 46th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions on March 26th-29th in San Francisco, CA. Faculty, staff, and alumni from the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences represented our school at this year’s SBM meeting. Read on for some descriptions of their work and see more photos below! Sunny Jung […]

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. Jessica LaRose, Ph.D., wears many hats in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences – she is a prolific scholar and scientist, conducting multiple behavioral clinical trials in […]

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. Maghboeba Mosavel, Ph.D. is a health disparities researcher whose work focuses on the social drivers of inequities and their negative impacts on chronic disease. Her funded projects have […]

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 […]