Improving population and public health - at the intersection of research and action in communities.
The Department of Preventive Medicine’s mission is broad and encompassing, reflecting the expansive scope of population and public health sciences.
Over 100 faculty work across a broad research portfolio while fostering partnerships across the University, local and global organizations, and communities for a truly transdisciplinary and collaborative approach. The department consistently ranks among the nation’s top public health schools in funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Home to highly active centers and institutes and a wide variety of research studies, work in the department serves to advocate for and inform community and organizational action. In addition to significant work in USC’s surrounding communities in Los Angeles and the United States, the Department of Preventive Medicine conducts research and provides educational opportunities in more than a dozen countries.
The department offers undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and post-doctoral education and training programs that nurture students to become public health leaders in their communities and around the world.

Announcing the 2021 SCEHSC Pilot Projects Program: Call for environmental health research proposals
The NIH-funded Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center (SCEHSC, scehsc.usc.edu), based at the Department of Preventive Medicine, is pleased to announce its 2021 Pilot Projects

Largest, most diverse prostate cancer study shows genetic role in health disparities
86 new risk factors identified in research co-led by USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. By Wayne Lewis Some racial and ethnic groups suffer relatively more

Americans aren’t getting enough to eat during the coronavirus pandemic – here’s what’s happening in Los Angeles County
Kayla de la Haye, University of Southern California The number of Americans who can’t get enough food is rising from already troubling levels during the

Cadmium, found in cigarettes and some foods, linked to higher death rates in people with flu or pneumonia
New study suggests high levels of the toxic heavy metal could also worsen outcomes for people with COVID-19 By Laura LeBlanc Since the earliest stages

Young adults who identify as Republicans more often ignore COVID-19 safety precautions
From infrequently social distancing to visiting more indoor venues, a new USC study finds that young Republicans are more likely than their peers to disregard

How sucrose, the ‘real’ sugar commonly found in sodas, can disrupt your appetite
Sugar-sweetened drinks interfere with the hunger-suppressing hormones that signal a sense of feeling full, a new USC study finds. Sugary drinks interfere with hormones that

Howard Hu, new chair of Preventive Medicine, brings passion about public health
Howard Hu was destined to make his mark at the intersection of health and humanity. He learned to love literature and the arts from his

USC hosts APRU’s 14th annual Global Health Conference
The 14th annual Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference was held Oct. 19-21, bringing together health leaders, researchers, policymakers and students. Organized by USC, Fudan

Announcing the new MADRES Center Pilot Projects Program
The NIH-funded Maternal And Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors Center of Excellence on Environmental Health Disparities Research (MADRES, madres.usc.edu), based at the Department





