Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences
News and Announcements
Recent BSS News
See all BSS news
June 16, 2025
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.
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.
April 22, 2025
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.
January 23, 2025
News from Carney
A Case for Addiction Science Advocacy
Karla Kaun argues that addiction researchers should talk about their work in their everyday lives. Those conversations can shape how drug, tobacco and alcohol use is studied in labs, taught in schools, treated in clinics and shaped by policy. Brown addiction researchers have a track record of success in exerting the influence of evidence.
January 14, 2025
News from Brown
What the surgeon general’s warnings about alcohol mean for individual drinkers and public health
In a Q&A, Peter Monti, a professor of alcohol and addiction studies at Brown University and a leading researcher of alcohol and disease exacerbation, shared his perspective on alcohol and cancer.
January 8, 2025
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.
December 13, 2024
News from CHPHE
Spotlight on food insecurity: insights from the RI Life Index 2024 launch event
On December 11, Dr. Alison Tovar, director of the Brown University School of Public Health’s Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity, joined the Rhode Island Life Index 2024 launch event as a panelist to discuss the pressing issue of food insecurity.
November 11, 2024
News from CHPHE
Congratulations to Dr. Bess Marcus and Team on $3.37 Million NIH Grant to Address Health Disparities for Latinas
NIH R01 Grant to Study Health Disparities and Empower Latina Women through Physical Activity and Mindfulness
October 23, 2024
News from Brown
Finding calm amid chaos: Brown mindfulness expert offers advice for election-related stress
Dr. Judson Brewer, director of research and innovation at the Mindfulness Center at the Brown University School of Public Health, shares strategies for staying calm during contentious times.
October 22, 2024
News from SPH
A high-tech approach to curb heavy drinking
Brown researchers are developing a mobile app aimed at reducing high-risk alcohol use among young adults.
October 16, 2024
News from CHPHE
Tayla von Ash awarded $3.5M federal grant to advance health equity through youth sports intervention
von Ash, assistant professor of behavioral and social sciences, was awarded the NIH R01 grant, which totals $3.5M over five years.
October 2, 2024
News from Brown
With $12.3M federal grant, Brown to expand research on substance misuse and chronic disease
With renewed funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Addiction and Disease Risk Exacerbation will build on its research to understand mechanisms linking substance use with chronic disease.