The Importance of Research for the Public's Health

Woman scientist working in a lab.

Research is a major part of public health

Jean Wactawski-Wende

Jean Wactawski-Wende headshot.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Noon-1 p.m. EST

In times like these, people become much more aware of research into the causes, treatment and prevention of disease. But research is always taking place, often behind the scenes, and contributes in myriad ways to improving public health, even during major events like pandemics. Join Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD, dean of UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions, to learn about research taking place right at UB that looks for ways to improve the health of communities and populations, including COVID-19 studies and landmark longitudinal study the Women's Health Initiative.

About Jean Wactawski-Wende
Jean Wactawski-Wende, MS '83, PhD '89, dean of the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions, is an internationally recognized epidemiologist who focuses her research on understanding factors that influence women’s health. She has spent more than 30 years conducting research on, among other areas, risk factors and prevention of cancer, osteoporosis, and periodontal disease in postmenopausal women. She is the principal investigator of UB’s Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Center and leads the WHI Northeast Regional Center.  Initiated in 1993, WHI is a National Institute of Health (NIH)-funded, multi-center study that involves randomized clinical trials and an observational longitudinal study examining the major factors influencing morbidity and mortality in older women.  The results of Dr. Wactawski-Wende’ s work with WHI are far reaching, affecting our understanding of long-term health in older women. She was promoted to the rank of SUNY Distinguished Professor in 2015, recognizing her achievement of international prominence and distinguished reputation within her field.