This is really a great op-ed in the NYT on the effect of the current economic situation on the poor in the US. The downturn has been framed in many ways as the great leveler, but its important to remember that even if the wealthy and middle class have sunk a lot more in absolute terms, the 20-30% of people living in poverty in US can't afford to sink at all without suffering a lot. Its not skipped vacations but rather skipped meals for them.

A newly established Human Sciences Research Institute at UC Merced promises to have a direct impact on health issues in the Central Valley and boost the university's plans to build a worldclass medical school on campus. HSRI leaders expect to engage all the research labs at the univeristy and create expert teams to tackle complex and multifaceted problems in human health. "The value to the San Joaquin Valley is huge," said Andy LiWang, the institute's director and professor of natural sciences. "Our research would be aimed at reducing the disparities in health that you see in this area — things like obesity, diabetes and other metabolic diseases; risk behaviors like tobacco use and early sexual activity; hepatitis C infection on liver disease; and asthma. " LiWang said the early development of a nationally recognized institute would definitely help plans for a medical school.

Autor / Author Galo Viteri Díaz

ethnography of Mississippi family poverty exits

California’s San Joaquin Valley is notoriously underserved in the healthcare field. Residents suffer from chronic illnesses, such as asthma and diabetes, at disproportionately high rates, yet medical services are available for their treatment at disproportionately low rates. Programs to improve the availability of quality healthcare in the region are greatly needed. A major research initiative on human health would complement those programs in important ways and would engage many different core disciplines, including two of the university’s most popular undergraduate majors (biology and psychology). Further, it would provide some of the best undergraduate research experience a university could hope to offer. Basic research in human health could also be expected to have far-reaching applications around the globe. Goal: Develop a strong health and wellness focus that permeates campus life through our research, education and outreach at the undergraduate, graduate and professional school levels. Objective 1: Establish the Health Sciences Research Institute (HSRI). HSRI would support research programs that use advanced analytical methods and modeling to answer questions in both fundamental biology and biomedicine. Objective 2: Establish a School of Medicine. California is expected to face a shortage of 17,000 physicians by 2015. The San Joaquin Valley has less than half the state average for local access to physicians. With the highest population growth rate in the state, the Valley needs more physicians to begin to address the high prevalence of chronic and preventable disease in this region. The University of California is the public higher-education institution in the state with the authority to graduate medical doctorates. The University of California Office of the President has recommended development of medical education programs in the Valley. The UC Merced School of Medicine (SOM) would provide 21st century medical education, leverage resources in the region, increase research opportunities in direct support of the human health research theme, and elevate the stature of the campus, helping it to become a comprehensive research university. The SOM would embrace cutting-edge, interdisciplinary medical education. A signature research program of the SOM would be population health, which together with basic and applied sciences, would bring a highly interdisciplinary research portfolio that integrates across schools. For more information contact HSRI founding director, Dr. Andy LiWang: aliwang@ucmerced.edu, office phone (209) 228-4623.