Mar 29, 2016
UPenn PRC Director, Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH, joined other PRC Directors in a session to mark the 30thAnniversary of the CDC’s Prevention Research Centers Program at the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Annual Meeting March 20-22, 2016 in Arlington, Virginia.
Dr. Glanz and her fellow PRC directors discussed the past accomplishments of their centers and the prevention challenges they are currently addressing. In addition to these challenges, other session topics included the Congressional and administrative history of the program, the future goals of the program, and its interaction with other federal research funders.
The Prevention Research Centers Program is a network of 26 academic research centers in 24 states. Each PRC studies how people and their communities can avoid or counter the risks for chronic illnesses. These centers are located at either a school of public health or a medical school that has a preventive medicine residency program. As a result, the centers are leaders in translating research results into policy and public health practice.

(Peggy Hannon, PhD, MPH, Health Promotion Research Center, University of Washington, Lisa Powell, PhD, Illinois Prevention Research Center, University of Illinois – Chicago, Mehran S. Massoudi, PhD, MPH (CAPT, USPHS), Director, PRC Program, CDC, Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH, University of Pennsylvania Prevention Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Carolyn Johnson, PhD, MS,Tulane Prevention Research Center, Tulane University)
Mar 3, 2016

The Penn Institute for Urban Research, in collaboration with the Center for Public Health Initiatives, announced the winner of its 2016 photo contest. The theme of the contest was “public health and the urban environmental landscape.” The announcement was made at the “Shaping the Urban Health and Environmental Landscape” symposium, held on February 25th in the Fisher Fine Arts Library at the University of Pennsylvania. The entries were judged by the symposium’s panel of experts, who looked for compelling images that emphasize ways that urban design has succeeded or failed to promote public health and well-being. The winning photograph, “Summer’s Day at John Kelly Pool, Fairmount Park, Pa.,” was taken by Ben Chrisinger.
Runners-Up
“Schuylkill River Trail” by Rob Lybeck

Teng Teng’s “Spruce Street Harbor Park, Philadelphia.”

Feb 23, 2016

On Thursday, February 25, NEJM Catalyst produced a live web event titled Patient Engagement: Behavioral Strategies for Better Health. Hosted by the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, the event provided expert insight and real-world examples on ways to improve the quality and value of health care through patient engagement.
The event featured eleven preeminent business and clinical experts, with in-depth knowledge of:
- behavioral psychology
- habit formation
- behavioral economics
- social marketing
Experts shared their perspectives on ways to change patients’ health behavior across a wide range of clinical contexts. In addition to scalable, actionable ideas on how to motivate patients to take an active role in optimizing their health.
“As health care leaders and clinicians see more and more how the pressures to improve patient outcomes are driving health care organizations’ interests, it’s important to think broadly about how we influence patient behavior and how that helps to keep people healthy,” said Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, Director of the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics; Vice Chairman for Health Policy, Medical Ethics and Health Policy; and Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics and Health Policy and Health Management, Perelman School of Medicine and the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, UPenn PRC Director, and Lead Advisor for NEJM Catalyst.
Feb 9, 2016

Bringing together student leaders from all the Ivy League universities for three days of workshops, speakers, and discussions focused on unearthing campus perceptions of stress, the University of Pennsylvania hosted: Unmasking the Ivy League: A Conference on Mental Health in the Ivy League.
Over the three-day weekend, student leaders analyzed stressors to mental health on college campuses, identified and discussed the resources available at each university, and collaborated on possible plans of action. In preparation for the conference, each delegation created a booklet summarizing the status of mental health at their university as well as resources and current initiatives at their home institution.
The UPenn PRC is proud to have been a co-sponsor of this event.
http://ivyleague-mentalhealth.com/

Feb 2, 2016

Bringing Together Community Based Organizations and Local Researchers in the Philadelphia area
2016 THEME: “Health and Safety Across the Lifespan”
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN RESEARCH DAY encouraged collaborations between researchers and community based organizations (CBOs) and community groups with interest in the topics around health and safety across the lifespan.Through an interactive poster session, CBOs and community groups highlighted their questions to CDRD participants, who included area non-profits, community groups, public sector partners, and researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Drexel University, and Jefferson University. CBOs, community groups, academic researchers, and students met and discuss potential, mutually-beneficial collaborations.
WHEN: Wednesday, February 3, 2016 : 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
WHERE: University of Pennsylvania, Biomedical Research Building, Auditorium & Lobby: 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
UPenn PRC Community Advisory Board member Glenn Bryan made the opening remarks to the Community-Driven Research Day audience.
Mr. Bryan is also the Assistant Vice President of Community Relations at the University of Pennsylvania.
UPenn PRC Community Advisory Board member Cheryl Bettigole, MD, delivered the keynote address.
Dr. Bettigole is the Director of Get Healthy Philly, the Division of Chronic Disease Prevention of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.
A poster session allowed community groups to share their topics and goals with academic researchers from major Philadelphia-area universities with teaching hospitals, such as Penn, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Drexel, Jefferson, and Temple.
Jan 7, 2016
Behavioral Economics: How People Process Information and Make Decisions
On Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at the Arch Auditorium of the University of Pennsylvania,
Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, UPenn PRC Director, is Vice Chairman, Division of Health Policy, Department of Medical Ethics and Policy; Director, Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics; Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine; Professor of Health Care Management, Wharton School