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 SPH
Brown researchers awarded $3.8 million grant to study links between alcohol, gut health and HIV
The research, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, aims to uncover how alcohol and HIV disrupt gut bacteria and contribute to chronic health issues like heart disease.
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
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.
Read Article
Doctoral student Emily Elenio is tackling one of the biggest challenges in digital public health research today: securing the integrity of online survey data. In her innovative work on the "What’s On Your Plate" study, she sets new standards for recruiting under-resourced populations while defending against bots and fraudulent responses.
Read Article
News from SPH
Student Spotlight: Garrett Stang
For sexual and gender minorities, stress and stigma can undermine conventional tobacco cessation efforts. Brown SPH doctoral student Garrett Stang is examining smoking behaviors within these communities to inform more effective, evidence-based strategies for quitting.
Read Article