skip over navigation
Ayman E. El-Mohandes, MD, MPH
Professor and Chair
Professor of Pediatrics
and Obstetrics
Department of Prevention and Community Health
2175 K Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20037
202-994-3570
www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/departments/pch/

Department News

Who We Are

The Department of Prevention and Community Health educates students in four inter-related areas - health promotion; maternal and child health; public health communication and marketing; and community-oriented primary care - and conducts research and scholarly activities in these disciplines. In collaboration with other departments at SPHHS, other Schools at The George Washington University and the broader public health community, the Department strives to: produce and share knowledge; develop, implement and evaluate state-of-the-art community health programs; communicate health information to the public; and, integrate research findings into public health education and practice.

In addition to its educational activities, the Department pursues these objectives by: establishing practice-academic partnerships; conducting peer-reviewed evaluation and policy research; and making significant scholarly contributions to the evidence base of public health.

Academic Programs

The Department offers rigorous and comprehensive capacity building programs training that prepares students for careers in multiple public health arenas. The degrees and programs offered include:

Faculty Research Expertise

Areas of expertise include:

  • Community Based Participatory Research
  • Evaluation Research of Programs
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Social Marketing
  • School Health
  • Life Course Perspective
  • Health Disparities
  • Smoking Cessation
  • Gender Based Violence
  • Adolescent Pregnancy
  • Health Communication
  • Injury Prevention

Selected Research Programs and Community Activities

Research and service activities are carried out within three institutions affiliated with the Department of Prevention and Community Health:

  • The Prevention Research Center conducts research designed to create, synthesize and apply knowledge related to behavior change and risk reduction through culturally informed community-based programs. This mission is accomplished by promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and fostering dynamic community partnerships. Areas of special expertise include: minority health; tobacco use; adolescent sexuality; youth violence prevention; gender based violence, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, culturally integrative intervention development and implementation, early intervention; and evaluation studies.
  • The Forum for Collaborative HIV Research is an independent public-private partnership that facilitates discussion on emerging issues in HIV clinical research and works to translate research results into patient care. Participants include government agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, HIV researchers and clinicians and the HIV patient advocacy community.
  • The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools is a policy and program resource center for school health co-sponsored by the SPHHS and GW's Graduate School of Education and Human Development. The Center has two priorities: 1) directing a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national grant initiative to expand access to mental health and dental services for school-age children; and 2) providing technical assistance and other analytical services to support continued development of school-based health programs across the nation.

Community engagement is a Department priority. In addition to the service activities associated with these centers, the Department trains community-based health advocacy groups and health care centers in health informatics and the dissemination of actionable, easy-to-understand health messages. Faculty members also provide expertise in evaluating public heath interventions.

Faculty

  • Lorien Abroms, ScD, MA
    Assistant Professor of Prevention and Community Health
  • Renaisa Anthony, MD, MPH
    Assistant Research Professor of Prevention and Community Health
  • Constance Battle, MD
    Adjunct Professor of Prevention and Community Health
  • Susan Blake, PhD, MA
    Associate Research Professor of Prevention and Community Health
  • James Cawley, MPH, PA-C
    Professor of Prevention and Community Health and of Health Care Sciences
  • Mark Edberg, PhD, MA
    Associate Professor of Prevention and Community Health
  • Ayman El-Mohandes, MBBCh, MD, MPH
    Chair and Professor of the Department of Prevention and Community Health; Professor of Pediatrics and of Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • W. Douglas Evans, PhD
    Professor of Prevention and Community Health and of Global Health
    Director, Public Health Communication and Marketing Program
  • Jaime Gofin, MD, MPH
    Visiting Professor of Prevention and Community Health
    Interim Director, Community Oriented Primary Care Program
  • John Grossman, III, MD, PhD, MPH
    Professor of Prevention and Community Health, of Health Services Management and Leadership, and of Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Patrik Johansson, MD, MPH
    Assistant Research Professor of Prevention and Community Health
  • Julia Lear, PhD, MA
    Research Professor of Prevention and Community Health
    Director, Center for Health and Health Care in Schools.
  • R. Craig Lefebvre, PhD
    Research Professor of Prevention and Community Health
  • Karen A. McDonnell, PhD
    Associate Professor of Prevention and Community Health
    Director, Doctor of Public Health in Health Behavior Program
  • Veronica Miller, PhD
    Research Professor of Prevention and Community Health, of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and of Health Policy
    Director, Forum for Collaborative HIV Research
  • Karyn Pomerantz, MLS, MPH
    Research Scientist and Adjunct Instructor of Prevention and Community Health
  • Olga Acosta Price, PhD
    Associate Research Professor of Prevention and Community Health
    Deputy Director, Center for Health and Health Care in Schools.
  • Monica Ruiz, PhD, MPH
    Assistant Research Professor of Prevention and Community Health
  • Caroline Sparks, PhD, MA
    Associate Professor of Prevention and Community Health
    Director, Health Promotion Program
  • Amita N. Vyas, PhD, MS
    Assistant Professor of Prevention and Community Health
    Director, Maternal and Child Health Program
  • Richard Windsor, PhD, MS, MPH
    Professor of Prevention and Community Health

Contact Us

Department of Prevention and Community Health
2175 K St., NW, Suite 700
School of Public Health and Health Services
The George Washington University
Washington, DC 20037
Phone: 202-994-3570
Fax: 202-994-3601
Email: pch@gwumc.edu
Web site: www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/departments/pch/

Department Chair: Ayman El-Mohandes, MBBCh, MD, MPH

Research Activities

Community Activities

site maintained by James Kraetz | last updated 03 July 2009 | Site Map