School of Medicine - Dept. of Social Medicine, Population, & Public Health

SMPPH Faculty meet with UC President Dr. Michael Drake

Department of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health

The Department of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health (SMPPH) is the department that administers the Center for Healthy Communities. The chair is Mark Wolfson, Ph.D., who joined the department in 2019 from the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

The school offers a master in public health degree. Read more about the MPH program here.

For all inquiries regarding the SMPPH, please contact Interim Financial Administrative Officer Isabel Guzman by email or by phone at 951-827-2165.

MPH Program launched in Fall 2024

The UC Riverside School of Medicine is proud to announce our new Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program launched in fall 2024.

The two-year program integrates public health expertise from across UCR’s campus, resulting in an in-depth focus on local to global public health problems and solutions. 

Working with local public health leaders, including the Riverside County Public Health Department, the program features a robust curriculum for the community-focused degree program.

Learn more about the MPH program

Our Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Social Medicine, Population and Public Health is to engage in multidisciplinary education, research, service, and scholarship on the intersections of medicine and society with population and public health. This includes a focus on the social injustices and inequalities that contribute to poor health, the inclusion of oftentimes excluded voices, and the identification of solutions to address systemic change.

SMPPH News

Dr. Mario Sims and Dr. Mark Wolfson
January 29, 2024
New Master of Public Health Program to Start in Fall 2024
The UCR School of Medicine will add a new master of public health (MPH) degree program in fall 2024, adding to its efforts to improve health among the people of Inland Southern California. The two-year program integrates public health expertise from across UCR’s campus, resulting in an in-depth focus on local to global public health problems and solutions. Ultimately, it aims to train a new generation of public health leaders committed to increasing health equity in the Inland Empire.
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Hayden Schill, elected president of the UCGPC, UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox, and Dr. Evelyn Vázquez
June 01, 2023
Vázquez Hosts Gallery Highlighting Mental Health Experiences of Underrepresented Graduate Students at Regents Meeting
A photovoice gallery and exhibit that sheds light on the unique mental experiences and needs of historically marginalized graduate and professional students (HMGPS) was presented at the UC Board of Regents meeting at UCLA from May 16-18, 2023. The exhibit, titled “The Trajectories of Underrepresented Graduate Students While in Graduate School," was created and hosted by Evelyn Vázquez, PhD, MS of the Department of Social Medicine, Population, & Public Health.
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