Public Health at UC Merced

Public Health has been defined as "the science of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research regarding disease- and injury-prevention." But Public Health is more than that...it is a way of engaging communities and building partnerships to address some of the pressing health issues facing society.

Nowhere is this more important than in the San Joaquin Valley of California. While a place of natural beauty and diverse, vibrant populations, it is also a region with some of the greatest health disparities in the country. Indeed, a major reason for the establishment of the Merced campus of the University of California was to improve the condition of the population of the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), which trails the rest of California on almost all socioeconomic and health risk indicators. By choosing to study with the growing and dynamic UC Merced Public Health department, you will be at the forefront of these efforts.

Current Research Areas