Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, the Margaret C. Ryan Dean of WashU School of Public Health and the Eugene S. and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professor in Public Health, will be among several WashU Public Health faculty, students and staff to speak or present research at the 2025 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting & Expo in Washington, D.C.

The meeting, from November 2–5, brings together colleagues from all arenas of public health.

Galea will join a panel of public health leaders to discuss how to lead in an era of complexity and polarization. The panel, titled “Breaking the Mold: Bold Leaders Shaping the Future of Public Health,” will begin at 10:30 a.m. Monday, November 3.

Several WashU Public Health faculty, students and staff will present their research during the meeting, on topics ranging from aging to crisis mental health to health communication. A schedule of WashU Public Health presentations is below.

Sunday, November 2

Assessing the association between social needs and loneliness in older adults who are homebound: A virtual senior center is a promising solution
Presenter: Karen Skinner, MPH, doctoral student in Public Health Sciences
Other SPH authors: Matthew Kreuter, MPH, PhD, the Kahn Family Professor of Public Health; Jennifer Wolff, PhD, research director in WashU Public Health’s Health Communication Research Laboratory
Program: Aging & Public Health
Session: Advanced Care Planning, Palliative Care, and End-of-Life Issues
Time: 3 to 4 p.m. 

Virtual social connection: lessons learned from a virtual senior center pilot
Presenter: Karen Skinner, MPH, doctoral student in Public Health Sciences
Other SPH authors: Matthew Kreuter, MPH, PhD, the Kahn Family Professor of Public Health; Jennifer Wolff, PhD, research director in WashU Public Health’s Health Communication Research Laboratory
Program: Aging & Public Health
Session: Digital Health and Older Adults
Time: 5 to 6 p.m.

Public reactions to six ”core health knowledge” items – a novel approach to conveying actionable health information
Presenter: Olivia Weng, MSPH, doctoral student in Public Health Sciences
Other SPH authors: Matthew Kreuter, MPH, PhD, the Kahn Family Professor of Public Health
Program: Public Health Education and Health Promotion 
Session: Next-Gen Public Health: Innovation in Education, AI Adoption and Empowerment
Time: 5 to 6 p.m.

Monday, November 3

Understanding preferences for health services for survivors of sexual violence in Uganda: a discrete choice experiment
Presenter: Derek Brown, MA, PhD, professor of public health
Other SPH authors: Lindsay Stark, MPH, DrPH, professor of public health; Massy Mutumba, MPH, PhD, assistant professor of public health
Program: Sexual and Reproductive Health
Session: Sexual Agency, Consent, and Violence: Global Perspectives on Power, Health, and Justice
Time: 8:30 to 10 a.m. 

Characteristics of trustworthy crisis behavioral health services: perspectives from people with lived experience
Presenter: Morgan Shields, MS, PhD, assistant professor of public health
Program: Medical Care Section
Session: Studies in Quality Improvement Across Medical Care Settings
Time: 10:30 to 10:35 a.m. 

A crisis of betrayal: understanding people’s lived experiences of crisis mental health services
Presenter: Lucy Regales, undergraduate student 
Other SPH authors: Morgan Shields, MS, PhD, assistant professor of public health
Program: Medical Care Section
Session: Impacts of Quality Improvement Initiatives
Time: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. 

Examining the relationship between perceived inclusion, social connection, and refugee health and well-being in the United States: findings from the 2020-2021 annual survey of refugees
Presenter: Lena Schulhofer, MHS, doctoral student in Public Health Sciences
Other SPH authors: Lindsay Stark, MPH, DrPH, professor of public health; Ilana Seff, MPH, DrPH, research associate professor of public health
Program: Caucus on Refugee and Immigrant Health
Session: Exploring Contributing Factors to Health Behaviors and Outcomes among Immigrant, Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Communities
Time: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

A systematic review of infectious disease outbreaks and violence against women and girls: changes in magnitude, mechanisms facilitating violence, and lessons for the future
Presenter: Lindsay Stark, MPH, DrPH, professor of public health
Other SPH authors: Ilana Seff, MPH, DrPH, research associate professor of public health
Program: APHA Committee on Women’s Rights
Session: Exploring Contributing Factors to Health Behaviors and Outcomes among Immigrant, Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Communities
Time: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Identifying vaccine knowledge and questions in local communities: a mix-methods analysis
Presenter: Hannah Kinzer, MPH, doctoral student in Public Health Sciences
Other SPH authors: Mikayla A. Johnson, research project coordinator at WashU Public Health’s Health Communication Research Laboratory (HCRL); Kristina Serrano, MPH student; Victoria De La Vega, research project coordinator at HCRL; Alexis Marsh, LMSW, Health Communications Collaborative network manager; and Matthew Kreuter, MPH, PhD, the Kahn Family Professor of Public Health
Program: Public Health Education and Health Promotion
Session: From Hesitancy to Action: Innovating Vaccine Communication Across Populations and Lifespans
Time: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. 

Identifying factors associated with intimate partner violence among a U.S.-based sample of sexual and gender minority adolescents
Presenter: Isabelle Howerton, MPH, doctoral student in Public Health Sciences
Program: LGBTQ Health Caucus
Session: LGBTQ+ Posters
Time and date: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 4

Reimagining humanitarian aid: integrating self-reliance and mental health support for displaced households
Presenter: Ilana Seff, MPH, DrPH, research associate professor of public health
Other SPH authors: Lindsay Stark, MPH, DrPH, professor of public health
Program: Caucus on Refugee and Immigrant Health
Session: Barriers and Enablers of Health Equity Among Immigrants, Refugees, and Forcibly Displaced Populations
Time: 4:45 to 5 p.m.