Health Behavior Research
Overview
The Division of Health Behavior Research is focused on evaluating, preventing, and promoting a range of health behaviors (e.g., tobacco/substance use, nutrition, physical activity, mindfulness) that are associated with chronic and infectious diseases, with special emphasis on youth/young adults and health disparities populations.
Division Chief
Research Goals and Specialization
Research in the division spans several cross-cutting areas of focus. Our work seeks to understand the epidemiology, determinants, and consequences of health risk behaviors; develop and test health behavior intervention; and disseminate programs and influence policies related to health behavior change and prevention.
Division Labs and Research Groups
Research typically occurs both through individuals – or, in some cases, individual “labs” – and through the inter-disciplinary units represented by the Institutes and Centers based in our Department.
Drug Use and Behavior Lab
Epidemiology of Substance Use (EOS) Research Group
Global Research, Implementation, and Training Lab (GRIT LAB)
Health, Emotion and Addiction Laboratory (HEAL)
Maternal Cannabis Lab
Psychosocialbiology of Women’s Health and Emotional Research (POWER) Lab
Real-Time Eating Activity and Children’s Health (REACH) Lab
Social Media Analytics (SOMA) Lab
Faculty Members of the Division of Health Behavior Research
Education Programs
Master of Addiction Science
The USC Master’s in Addiction Science (MAS) is designed for students interested in transdisciplinary and inter-professional approaches to the study of addiction. Courses are offered across multiple disciplines, allowing students to gain a perspective in addiction from an array of science and policy aspects.
Bachelor of Science programs
The Department offers 2 undergraduate majors: Global Health and Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. These are ideal majors for students interested in medicine, public health, pharmacy, dentistry, international relations, epidemiology, health psychology and health behavior research.
Master of Public Health
The Master of Public Health program offers a rigorous curriculum that attracts dedicated and ambitious professionals with a passion to serve in the public health arena. The program’s core coursework aims to develop key public health competencies and skills using cases and examples from industry, ranging from local to global.
Graduate Certificate in Global Medicine
The Graduate Certificate in Global Medicine program is for anyone interested in augmenting their understanding of global health instead of pursuing a full Master of Science degree in Global Medicine.
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Behavior Research
The Doctor of Philosophy in Health Behavior Research program provides academic and research training for students interested in pursuing career opportunities in the field of health promotion and disease prevention research.
Master of Public Health (online)
The University of Southern California’s Master of Public Health is the only online MPH delivered by a top-ranked medical school with world-renowned faculty. If you want to maximize your impact on the world of public health and health care, USC is uniquely equipped to help you do it.
Master of Science in Global Medicine
The Master of Science in Global Medicine degree answers the urgent need for professional training in concepts of global health. Combining a strong medical science foundation with interdisciplinary approaches to healthcare, the program equips future healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to solve worldwide health issues.
USC PhD Candidate Teams Up with the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer to Catalogue Cancer Survivorships Services
For cancer survivors, the quality and availability of survivorship services is crucial to addressing their health needs following treatment. Researchers from the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences of Keck School of Medicine, Kimberly A. Miller, PhD,...
USC researcher to look at the link between the menstrual cycle and alcohol use
Researchers in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at Keck School of Medicine will explore the effects of the menstrual cycle on alcohol use in women. The project aims to shed light on the relationship between hormonal changes, emotional...
The Department of Population and Public Health Sciences releases its first annual report
The Department of Population and Public Health Sciences has released its first annual report since being established as the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at Keck School of Medicine of USC in 1977. The Department underwent its second name change in 2021...