Office of Public Health Research, Training and Practice

In December 2005, the RI Director of Health appointed Robert Marshall, PhD, Assistant Director of Health and Clinical Associate Professor of Community Health at Brown to take the lead on the new Office of Public Health Research, Training and Practice (OPHRTP) with a goal of developing partnerships with the Brown Medical School and the other institutions of higher learning in RI. Improving the health of Rhode Islanders requires creative leadership to leverage new resources, approaches and partners. These partnerships will aim to align the efforts and expertise of the colleges and universities and our programs in order to better promote the population’s health.

The seeds of this initiative include two new projects involving the RI Department of Health and the Brown Program in Public Health funded with support from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. The Public Health Training Program will offer a variety of evening/summer/weekend professional training experiences to students, as well as professionals from government, business and community-based organizations. The planning project for Integrating Research and Practice will place increased emphasis on coordinating applied research by students, faculty and community representatives using HEALTH data to inform policy and practice.

American National Strategy for Development of Social Marketing

OPHRTP is promoting a discussion about the development of social marketing in public health on a national basis.  Obviously there are many professionals and organizations deeply involved in this field both in the US an abroad—including US colleagues doing international social marketing. 

The materials here describe the proposal and the underlying experience with the National Social Marketing Center (NSMC) in London, England that lead to this proposal.

• Blog chronicle of NSMS experience
• Draft Framework for an American National Strategy for Social Marketing in Public Health

First-year Brown MPH students receive certificates of completion for 2007 Summer Internship Projects at the RI Department of Health

Students (first row L-R) Miriam Fenton; Hidemi Ito; Lauren Wier; Maria DeOcampo; and Christopher Peete
Faculty/Mentors (back row L-R): Jana Hesser, Robert Marshall, David Parker, Leanne Chiaverini