Publications | NYU School of Global Public Health

Our Center's work calls upon us to harness the power of research to drive policy change, challenge systemic racism, and champion health equity for all. Through rigorous inquiry, evidence-based advocacy, and unwavering dedication, research lights the way toward a future where every individual's right to optimal health is respected and upheld.

Dr. Melody Goodman’s efforts seek to understand the social risk factors contributing to health inequities in urban areas to develop culturally competent, region-specific, and evidence-based solutions through collaborative activities with community members, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and other community health stakeholders. Her work aims to develop solutions for improving health in minoritized and medically underserved communities.

Dr. Saba Rouhani's research is focused on characterizing the structural environment that influences the risk of overdose and other drug-related harms; she investigates the impact of harm reduction and overdose prevention initiatives, using results to identify implementation gaps and inform policy.

Dr. Adolfo Cuevas employs epidemiological, psychological, and biological approaches to investigate the effects of discrimination and other psychosocial determinants of health and health inequities. As a community psychologist, he uses population-level datasets and advanced statistical methods to understand how psychosocial determinants “get under the skin” and increase the risk of aging-related diseases.

Dr. Jemar Bather's research interest lies in the novel application of statistical methods to address perennial public health challenges and advance health equity. He received his PhD and AM in Biostatistics from Harvard University, MS in Applied Statistics from NYU, and BS in Statistics from Penn State. His work has appeared in diverse outlets such as Health Education & Behavior, Statistics in Medicine, Environmental Health Insights, and the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

Doctora Anna-Michelle McSorley is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Center for Anti-racism, Social Justice, and Public Health at the New York University (NYU) School of Global Public Health. She is also a Faculty Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice and Health at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Fielding School of Public Health.

She received her PhD (2022) and MPH (2018) in Community Health Sciences from UCLA. As part of her graduate training, she also completed a minor in Race, Ethnicity and Politics within the Department of Political Science at UCLA and was a funded Policy Fellow in the Public Health Training Program on Population Health Advocacy.

Dr. Brennan Rhodes-Bratton is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Center for Anti-racism, Social Justice, and Public Health at the New York University (NYU) School of Global Public Health. Her professional and educational career to date comprises nearly a decade of experience in public health, including research in environmental health, built-environment, nutrition, and wellness education, community-based participatory research, health policy analysis, housing insecurity, extensive training in the application of social theory to public health problems, and applied experiences in PhotoVoice and intervention design, implementation, and evaluation.

Dr. Rhodes-Bratton obtained both her DrPH and MPH at Columbia University. Her long-term career goal is to become a public health mixed methods researcher with expertise in theoretically-driven research and interventions, doing research grounded in sociological concepts and theories about the social and economic determinants of health and illness.

Dr. Goodman conducts applied biostatistical and survey research for community-based interventions and health inequities research with a strong focus on measurement. Additionally, through academic-community collaborations, she implements, evaluates, and enhances the infrastructure of community-engaged research, in order to mitigate health disparities.

Publications

Love after lockup:examining the role of marriage, social status, and financial stress among formerly incarcerated individuals
Bather, J. R., Marie McSorley, A. M., Rhodes-Bratton, B., Cuevas, A., Rouhani, S., Nafui, R., Harris, A., & Goodman, M. (2024). Love after lockup:examining the role of marriage, social status, and financial stress among formerly incarcerated individuals. Health and Justice, 12. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-024-00264-x

Racial segregation and genomics-related knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived importance, and communication among medically underserved patients.
Bather, J. R., Goodman, M. S., & Kaphingst, K. A. (2024). Racial segregation and genomics-related knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived importance, and communication among medically underserved patients. Genetics in Medicine Open, Volume 2. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gimo.2023.100844

Unpacking Public Health Implications of the 2023 Supreme Court Ruling on Race-Conscious Admissions
Bather JR, Furr-Holden D, Ramirez-Valles J, Goodman MS. Unpacking Public Health Implications of the 2023 Supreme Court Ruling on Race-Conscious Admissions. Health Educ Behav. 2023 Dec;50(6):713-717. doi: 10.1177/10901981231198785. Epub 2023 Sep 5. PMID: 37667626.

The measurement of racism in health inequities research
Marina Mautner Wizentier and others, The measurement of racism in health inequities research, Epidemiologic Reviews, 2023;, mxad004, doi.org/10.1093/epirev/mxad004

Racial and Ethnic Diversity Among Students, Graduates, and Faculty in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, 2010-2020
Goodman MS, Bather JR, Chu X, Pagano M, Plepys CM, Sebro RA. Racial and Ethnic Diversity Among Students, Graduates, and Faculty in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, 2010-2020. Public Health Reports. 2023;138(3):546-554. doi:10.1177/00333549221097653

Distal Factors Associated With Proximal Overdose Risk Behaviors and Recent Non-Fatal Overdose Among a Sample of People Who Use Illicit Opioids in New York City
Elliott, L., Chen, Y., Goodman, M., & Bennett, A. S. (2023). Distal Factors Associated With Proximal Overdose Risk Behaviors and Recent Non-Fatal Overdose Among a Sample of People Who Use Illicit Opioids in New York City. Journal of Drug Issues, 0(0). doi.org/10.1177/00220426231168081

Attitudes and beliefs regarding race-targeted genetic testing of Black people: A systematic review
Iltis, A. S., Rolf, L., Yaeger, L., Goodman, M. S., & DuBois, J. M. (2023). Attitudes and beliefs regarding race-targeted genetic testing of Black people: A systematic review. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 32, 435–461. doi.org/10.1002/jgc4.1653

Promoting Authentic Academic—Community Engagement to Advance Health Equity
Hudson D, Gilbert K, Goodman M. Promoting Authentic Academic—Community Engagement to Advance Health Equity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(4):2874. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042874

Racial and Ethnic Composition of Students, Graduates, and Faculty in Environmental Health Sciences, 2011 to 2021
Bather JR, Burke EM, Plepys CM, Goodman MS. Racial and Ethnic Composition of Students, Graduates, and Faculty in Environmental Health Sciences, 2011 to 2021. Environmental Health Insights. 2023;17. doi:10.1177/11786302221150688

Barriers to family history collection among Spanish-speaking primary care patients: a BRIDGE qualitative study
Erica Liebermann, Peter Taber, Alexis S. Vega, Brianne M. Daly, Melody S. Goodman, Richard Bradshaw, Priscilla A. Chan, Daniel Chavez-Yenter, Rachel Hess, Cecilia Kessler, Wendy Kohlmann, Sara Low, Rachel Monahan, Kensaku Kawamoto, Guilherme Del Fiol, Saundra S. Buys, Meenakshi Sigireddi, Ophira Ginsburg, Kimberly A. Kaphingst,
Barriers to family history collection among Spanish-speaking primary care patients: a BRIDGE qualitative study, PEC Innovation, Volume 1, 2022, 100087, ISSN 2772-6282; doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2022.100087.

Racial Disparities in Breast Reconstruction at a Comprehensive Cancer Center
Connors, S.K., Goodman, M.S., Myckatyn, T. et al. Racial Disparities in Breast Reconstruction at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 9, 2323–2333 (2022). doi.org/10.1007/s40615-021-01169-3

Rapid Community Engagement in Response to SARS-CoV-2 Funding Opportunities: New York City, 2020‒2021
Natasha J. Williams, Emily Gill, Malcolm A. Punter, Jeremy Reiss, Melody Goodman, Donna Shelley, and Lorna E. Thorpe, 2022; Rapid Community Engagement in Response to SARS-CoV-2 Funding Opportunities: New York City, 2020‒2021. American Journal of Public Health 112, S904_S908, doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307072

Association of Disparities in Family History and Family Cancer History in the Electronic Health Record With Sex, Race, Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, and Language Preference in 2 Large US Health Care Systems
Chavez-Yenter D, Goodman MS, Chen Y, et al. Association of Disparities in Family History and Family Cancer History in the Electronic Health Record With Sex, Race, Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, and Language Preference in 2 Large US Health Care Systems. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(10):e2234574. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.34574

Acculturation and Depressive Symptoms Among Dominicans in New York City
Hagen, D., Goldmann, E., Parikh, N.S. et al. Acculturation and Depressive Symptoms Among Dominicans in New York City. J Immigrant Minority Health 24, 1186–1195 (2022). doi.org/10.1007/s10903-021-01316-2

Dr. Rouhani is especially interested in how drug policy has fueled mass incarceration and impacted racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. She studies how changes to the policy and policing landscape may promote or hinder equity in health and social outcomes. Her current research is focused on characterizing emerging drug decriminalization policies and modeling their impacts on equity in criminal legal involvement and health outcomes.

Publications

Factors associated with receptive injection equipment sharing among people who inject drugs: findings from a multistate study at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic
Allen, S.T., Schneider, K.E., Morris, M. et al. Factors associated with receptive injection equipment sharing among people who inject drugs: findings from a multistate study at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Harm Reduct J 20, 18 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-023-00746-5

Understanding Sensitivity and Cross-Reactivity of Xylazine Lateral Flow Immunoassay Test Strips for Drug Checking Applications
Sisco E, Nestadt DF, Bloom MB, Schneider KE, Elkasabany RA, Rouhani S, et al. Understanding Sensitivity and Cross-Reactivity of Xylazine Lateral Flow Immunoassay Test Strips for Drug Checking Applications. ChemRxiv. Cambridge: Cambridge Open Engage; 2023; This content is a preprint and has not been peer-reviewed.

Pathways to racial disparities in the effects of Good Samaritan Laws: A mixed methods pilot study
Pamplin, John R., et al. “Pathways to Racial Disparities in the Effects of Good Samaritan Laws: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, vol. 249, 1 Aug. 2023, p. 110823, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037687162301061X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110823. Accessed 1 Sept. 2023.

Persistent Criminalization and Structural Racism in US Drug Policy: The Case of Overdose Good Samaritan Laws
John R. Pamplin II, Saba Rouhani, Corey S. Davis, Carla King, and Tarlise N. Townsend, 2023: Persistent Criminalization and Structural Racism in US Drug Policy: The Case of Overdose Good Samaritan Laws American Journal of Public Health 113, S43_S48, doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307037

Increased solitary drug use during COVID-19: An unintended consequence of social distancing
Schneider, Kristin E., et al. “Increased Solitary Drug Use during COVID-19: An Unintended Consequence of Social Distancing.” International Journal of Drug Policy, vol. 111, 1 Jan. 2023, p. 103923, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395922003395, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103923. Accessed 1 Sept. 2023.

Alternative Use of Buprenorphine among People who Use Opioids in Three U.S. Cities
Gandhi P, Rouhani S, Park JN, et al. Alternative Use of Buprenorphine among People who Use Opioids in Three U.S. Cities. Substance Abuse. 2022;43(1):364-370. doi:10.1080/08897077.2021.1942395

Discordance between self-reported and biologically tested exposure to fentanyl among people at risk of opioid overdose
Park JN, Urquhart G, Morris M, Dahal R, Rouhani S, Sherman SG. Discordance Between Self-reported and Biologically Tested Exposure to Fentanyl Among People at Risk of Opioid Overdose. J Addict Med. 2022 Nov-Dec 01;16(6):722-724. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000969. PMID: 35120057; PMCID: PMC9349466.

Understanding the longitudinal relationship between substance use and violent victimization among street-based women who exchange sex in Baltimore, Maryland
Schneider, Kristin E., et al. “Understanding the Longitudinal Relationship between Substance Use and Violent Victimization among Street-Based Women Who Exchange Sex in Baltimore, Maryland.” International Journal of Drug Policy, vol. 109, 1 Nov. 2022, p. 103824, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395922002407, doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103824.

The Epidemiology of Sapovirus in the Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infection and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development Study: Evidence of Protection Following Natural Infection
Saba Rouhani and others, for the Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health (MAL-ED) Network Investigators, The Epidemiology of Sapovirus in the Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infection and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development Study: Evidence of Protection Following Natural Infection, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 75, Issue 8, 15 October 2022, Pages 1334–1341, doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciac165

Racial resentment and support for decriminalization of drug possession in the United States
Rouhani S, McGinty EE, Weicker NP, et al. Racial resentment and support for decriminalization of drug possession in the United States. Preventive Medicine. 2022;163:107189. doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107189

Dr. Cuevas’ work has been published in scientific journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Journal of Public Health, and he has been featured in HuffPost and NPR's Code Switch. While at Tufts he directed a multidisciplinary team of researchers investigating the obesogenic effects of discrimination across the life course.

Publications

Parental education and epigenetic aging in middle-aged and older adults in the United States: A life course perspective
Korous, Kevin M., et al. “Parental Education and Epigenetic Aging in Middle-Aged and Older Adults in the United States: A Life Course Perspective.” Social Science & Medicine, vol. 333, 1 Sept. 2023, p. 116173, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953623005300, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116173. Accessed 1 Sept. 2023.

Association of Racial Discrimination With Adiposity in Children and Adolescents
Cuevas AG, Krobath DM, Rhodes-Bratton B, et al. Association of Racial Discrimination With Adiposity in Children and Adolescents. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(7):e2322839. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.22839

Use of Bland-Altman Analysis to Examine the Racial and Ethnic Representativeness of Study Populations in Community-Based Pediatric Health Research
Krobath DM, Naumova EN, Cuevas AG, Sacheck JM, Wilson NLW, Economos CD. Use of Bland-Altman Analysis to Examine the Racial and Ethnic Representativeness of Study Populations in Community-Based Pediatric Health Research. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(5):e2312920. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.12920

Perceived intrinsic, social, and environmental barriers for weight management in older Hispanic/Latino adults with obesity
Dao, MC, Yu, Z, Maafs-Rodríguez, A, et al. Perceived intrinsic, social, and environmental barriers for weight management in older Hispanic/Latino adults with obesity. Obes Sci Pract. 2023; 9(2): 145-157. https://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.631

Intersectional vulnerability in the relationship between discrimination and inflammatory gene expression
Cuevas, Adolfo G., et al. “Intersectional Vulnerability in the Relationship between Discrimination and Inflammatory Gene Expression.” Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health, vol. 27, Feb. 2023, p. 100580, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100580. Accessed 9 Feb. 2023.

Length of Residency in the United States and Obesity Across Race/Ethnicity
Cofie, L.E., Cuevas, A.G. Length of Residency in the United States and Obesity Across Race/Ethnicity. J Immigrant Minority Health 25, 241–245 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-022-01362-4

The Relationship Between Subjective Social Status, Mental Health Disparities, and the Mediating Role of Discrimination Among Latinx Populations
Dawson, B.A., Carvalho, K. & Cuevas, A. The Relationship Between Subjective Social Status, Mental Health Disparities, and the Mediating Role of Discrimination Among Latinx Populations. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 10, 350–356 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-021-01226-x

Discrimination Exposure and Polygenic Risk for Obesity in Adulthood: Testing Gene-Environment Correlations and Interactions
Adolfo G. Cuevas, Frank D. Mann, Robert F. Krueger; Discrimination Exposure and Polygenic Risk for Obesity in Adulthood: Testing Gene-Environment Correlations and Interactions. Lifestyle Genomics 18 January 2023; 16 (1): 90–97. https://doi.org/10.1159/000529527

Genetic Liability, Exposure Severity, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Predict Cognitive Impairment in World Trade Center Responders
Mann, Frank D. et al. ‘Genetic Liability, Exposure Severity, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Predict Cognitive Impairment in World Trade Center Responders’. 1 Jan. 2023 : 701 – 712.

Medical mistrust, discrimination, and COVID-19 vaccine behaviors among a national sample U.S. adults
Allen, Jennifer D., et al. “Medical Mistrust, Discrimination, and COVID-19 Vaccine Behaviors among a National Sample U.S. Adults.” SSM - Population Health, Nov. 2022, p. 101278, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101278.

Socially Assigned Race and the Health of Racialized Women and Their Infants
Abuelezam, Nadia N., et al. “Socially Assigned Race and the Health of Racialized Women and Their Infants.” Health Equity, vol. 6, no. 1, 1 Nov. 2022, pp. 845–851, https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2022.0079. Accessed 15 Jan. 2023.

The weight of childhood adversity: evidence that childhood adversity moderates the impact of genetic risk on waist circumference in adulthood
Cuevas, A.G., Mann, F.D. & Krueger, R.F. The weight of childhood adversity: evidence that childhood adversity moderates the impact of genetic risk on waist circumference in adulthood. Int J Obes 46, 1875–1882 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-022-01191-3

Psychosocial Stressors and Obesity
Cuevas, A.G., Eckert, N., Carvalho, K. (2022). Psychosocial Stressors and Obesity. In: Garcia-Alexander, G., Poston, Jr., D.L. (eds) International Handbook of the Demography of Obesity. International Handbooks of Population, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10936-2_12

Examining the relationship between household wealth and colorectal cancer screening behaviors among U.S. men aged 45–75
Korous, Kevin M., et al. “Examining the Relationship between Household Wealth and Colorectal Cancer Screening Behaviors among U.S. Men Aged 45–75.” SSM - Population Health, vol. 19, 1 Sept. 2022, p. 101222, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827322002014, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101222. Accessed 1 Sept. 2023.

Technical report: an online international weight control registry to inform precision approaches to healthy weight management
Roberts, S.B., Das, S.K., Sayer, R.D. et al. Technical report: an online international weight control registry to inform precision approaches to healthy weight management. Int J Obes 46, 1728–1733 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-022-01158-4

Dr. Jemar Bather focuses on addressing perennial public health challenges and advancing health equity. He is dedicated to increasing diversity in statistics at the local and national level, a passion reflected in his academic pursuits and outreach activities.

Publications

Dr. Brennan Rhodes-Bratton’s research aims to understand how societal structures, such as structural racism, gentrification, and food stigma, impede healthful eating attitudes, dispositions, and practices of mothers across the lifespan, which in turn influence cardiometabolic health outcomes of their children. Dr. Rhodes-Bratton approaches her work using theories and methods from sociology, epidemiology, nutrition, and urban studies. She has developed a theoretical framework of food health lifestyles (FLT) and food habits to examine how neighborhood change can influence health outcomes. FLT is used to inform and create effective health equity programs for communities of color most impacted by social forces responsible for inequity.

Publications: Love after lockup:examining the role of marriage, social status, and financial stress among formerly incarcerated individuals
Bather, J. R., Marie McSorley, A. M., Rhodes-Bratton, B., Cuevas, A., Rouhani, S., Nafui, R., Harris, A., & Goodman, M. (2024). Love after lockup:examining the role of marriage, social status, and financial stress among formerly incarcerated individuals. Health and Justice, 12. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-024-00264-x

Association of Racial Discrimination With Adiposity in Children and Adolescents
Cuevas AG, Krobath DM, Rhodes-Bratton B, et al. Association of Racial Discrimination With Adiposity in Children and Adolescents. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(7):e2322839. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.22839

Dra. McSorley is a public health scholar who combines her training in community health, political science, and public health advocacy to study how political systems work for or against the health and well-being of racial and ethnic minority communities, with a particular focus on Latinx communities. Using mixed-method approaches, she works to identify the pathways that connect political decisions, processes, and representation to the health inequities that emerge within Latinx populations in the United States.

Doctora McSorley Curriculum Vitae

Publications

A Call to Increase Health Data Availability in US Territories—Not Too Small to Count
Marie McSorley A, Wheatley A, Pagán JA. A Call to Increase Health Data Availability in US Territories—Not Too Small to Count. JAMA Health Forum. 2023;4(9):e233088. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.3088

The Relationship Between Political Efficacy and Self-Rated Health: An Analysis of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban Subgroups Compared to non-Latinx whites in the United States.
The Relationship Between Political Efficacy and Self-Rated Health: An Analysis of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban Subgroups Compared to non-Latinx whites in the United States. Social Science and Medicine – Population Health, 22. doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101390

Associations Between Socioeconomic Status and Psychological Distress: An Analysis of Disaggregated Latinx Subgroups Using Data from the National Health Interview Survey.
McSorley, A.M. & Bacong, A.M. (2023). Associations Between Socioeconomic Status and Psychological Distress: An Analysis of Disaggregated Latinx Subgroups Using Data from the National Health Interview Survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6), 4751. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064751

Published Media & Invited Commentaries

A Spotlight on Afro-Latinx Health During Black History Month
Cuevas, A.G. & McSorley A.M. (2023, February). A Spotlight on Afro-Latinx Health During Black History Month. Invited Commentary, NYU School of Global Public Health News.

Making the Invisible Visible
McSorley, A.M. (2022, October). Making the Invisible Visible. Invited Commentary, NYU School of Global Public Health News.

Hurricane Fiona Exposes More Than Crumbling Infrastructure in Puerto Rico
McSorley, A.M. (2022, September). Hurricane Fiona Exposes More Than Crumbling Infrastructure in Puerto Rico. Blog Post, Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice, and Health