In the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, we work to understand the behavioral and social determinants of public health problems and create and evaluate behavioral interventions with measurable impact on population health. Our work puts particular emphasis on improving the social contexts related to public health and on marginalized and vulnerable populations, both domestically and globally.
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Studying health behaviors and their social contexts — from nicotine and alcohol use to exercise, nutrition and sexual activity.
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Studying health behaviors and their social contexts — from nicotine and alcohol use to exercise, nutrition and sexual activity.
Explore Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown
Discover the programs and people that make up the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University
Our research delves into behaviors that most impact population health.
Graduate educational programs in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSS) train the next generation of public health scholars and practitioners.
Our faculty have expertise in psychology, human development and family studies, social work, sociology, anthropology, medicine, maternal child health, nutrition, global health and more.
Affiliated Centers and Institutes
Innovative research centers conduct behavioral and social sciences studies from alcohol use and dependence and nicotine and tobacco use to nutrition and physical activity and mindfulness
Dedicated to advancing research and training that improves the well-being of people and communities impacted by substance use and addiction.
Improving and advancing health equity through interdisciplinary and community-engaged research, education and advocacy.
The CGPH’s mission is to apply interdisciplinary perspectives to research and training to improve the health of populations in developing countries.
Dedicated to rigorous research and student-centered education, the Mindfulness Center offers programs that improve individual lives and organizational effectiveness.
Discovering and Improving Health Promotion and Disease Management through the Integration of Social, Behavioral, and Biomedical Sciences.
News from Brown
New opioid testing techniques could lead to better therapies
Brown University engineers partnered with public health experts to create new diagnostic techniques that could help to deliver better, patient-centered care to adults and newborns alike.
Degree Programs
Brown’s Behavioral and Social Sciences programs offers programs that prepare students for careers in research or public health which require knowledge of advanced methods.
Our Ph.D. students learn to employ behavioral and social science theory and methods to understand and address contemporary health problems.
Explore rigorous, research-intensive behavioral health concentrations for MPH candidates at the School of Public Health.
Recent BSS News and announcements
See all BSS news and announcements Amidst a reversal in youth substance-use trends, a new study links experiences of discrimination among young people of color to an increased risk of turning to substances as a coping mechanism.
Read Article
News from SPH
People-Centered Science
In an era where the value of scientific research is increasingly undermined, Brown University public health scholars remain steadfast, showing how high-quality public health science protects people, shapes policy and transforms the health of our nation.
Read Article
Researchers at Brown University found that many Rhode Island kids sleep less than their parents realize, with Latino children logging the least amount of rest.
Read Article