RIDOH Academic Institute

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Laurie Leonard

Public Health Education and Research

Mission

To integrate public health policy, practice, and research through strengthened collaborations among RIDOH, academic institutions, and research partners.

What we do

  • Formalize collaborative academic partnerships between RIDOH and academic faculty to address research questions. We currently have formalized partnerships with Brown University School of Public Health, the Community College of Rhode Island, Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island. We look forward to similar partnerships with other Rhode Island academic institutions. These partnerships promote identification of shared research and teaching interests between the academic institutions and RIDOH to enhance health outcomes for Rhode Islanders.
  • Implement the RIDOH Public Health Scholar Program utilizing collaborative public health research to drive learning experiences and research conducted by RIDOH Public Health Scholars with guidance from RIDOH programs and academic faculty. RIDOH Public Health Scholars include clinical, professional, graduate, undergraduate, and high school students.
  • Facilitate forums for collaborative state-academic partnerships to enhance statewide research through two methods:
    • Convene the Public Health Academic Working Group (PHAWG) to develop and showcase collaborative public health research in Rhode Island. This group provides combined presentations by academia and RIDOH programs, and focus on topics addressing public health concerns through academic research, collaboration and implementation. Past topics have included climate change, antimicrobial stewardship, opioid overdose epidemic, etc. RIDOH’s goal is to have representation from each college and university in Rhode Island.
    • Convene statewide research focus areas to improve statewide collaboration, identification, and utilization of increased resources and enhances outcomes. Current topics include: Achievement of Rhode Island’s 3rd Grade Reading Goal, Opioid overdose prevention and treatment, Community Health Worker development, Lyme prophylaxis pilot research.