Student presenting to other students

Department of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health

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The Department of Social Medicine, Population & Public Health (SMPPH) advances health equity and population health through education, research, and meaningful community-driven collaboration. The department is also home to the Center for Healthy Communities (CHC) and the Master of Public Health (MPH) program


students meeting with the instructors

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.


 

About the Master of Public Health Program

The UC Riverside School of Medicine's Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program is a two-year program that 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

About the Center for Healthy Communities

Since its inception in 2014, the UC Riverside School of Medicine's Center for Healthy Communities has been dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Inland Empire residents.

Our team of health professionals bridges the gap between the community and UCR’s health scholars and experts by advancing service, education, and research to achieve equitable health outcomes. 
 

Go to the Center for Healthy Communities website


Department of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health News

The recipients of the 2026 grants
CHC Announces 2026 Mini Grant Recipients
The UCR School of Medicine Center for Healthy Communities (CHC) has announced the recipients of its annual Community Medicine and Population Health Mini-Grants Program for 2026. The program funds up to two community health and population medicine initiatives per year and has awarded more than $60,000 to over the past seven years.
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Rosemary Tyrrell
Professor honored with Nancy Chick Article of the Year Award
Award reflects Rosemary Tyrrell’s contributions to advancing teaching and learning in medical education and beyond
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Brandon Brown
Professor named 2025 Hastings Center Fellow
Brandon Brown is the first recipient of the honor at UCR
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a person wearing a ucr shirt with an I voted sticker on their finger.
UCR SOM to Host Watch Party of Gubernatorial Forum on Healthcare
On November 7, 2025, leading candidates for California governor will meet for a forum hosted by UC Riverside to discuss health care challenges faced by state voters. The event, titled “Health Matters: A Conversation with California’s Next Governor,” is a nonpartisan forum organized by 11 California health-focused advocacy organizations committed to ensuring that every Californian has the opportunity to live healthy and well.
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Brandon Brown in front of trees
New Training Course Empowers Community Partners to Take Active Roles in Research
Brandon Brown, PhD, a professor in the Department of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health at the UC Riverside School of Medicine, has been conducting numerous community partnered research projects focused on HIV and the ethics of participant payment. Noting multiple barriers to community involvement as part of the research team, he collaborated with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program to create The Community Research Partner Training Course. 
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student volunteers with the IESM
IESM Partners with Temalpakh Farms for After School Nutrition Program
The UCR School of Medicine’s Center for Healthy Communities (CHC) and Inland Empire Street Medicine (IESM) program partnered with Temalpakh Farms, run by the Augustine Band of the Cahuilla Indians in the Coachella Valley, to host a two-day nutrition presentation for Nova Academy High School students on April 15-16.
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NHPI food distribution
Most eligible Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders missed mental health care, food aid during pandemic
UC Riverside’s Andrew Subica is co-author on report showing how COVID-19 affected NHPIs in California
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Coachella Valley Free Clinic
The role of student-run free clinics in developing medical students’ leadership abilities
Perspective article focuses on the Coachella Valley Free Clinic
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