College of Health News

A black and white portrait depicts Dr. Jean Snyder smiling. Read More

A career of service and teaching: Dr. Jean Snyder named Alaska Family Physician of the Year

 |  UW School of Medicine  |  , , ,

Dr. Jean Snyder’s career in family medicine has spanned decades, continents, and nearly every corner of patient care. Now, after years of serving communities across Alaska and beyond, she has been recognized as the Alaska Family Physician of the Year by the Alaska Academy of Family Physicians.

An older man and woman are pictured standing in a gym. Both are holding small dumbbells and wearing workout clothes. Read More

Rethinking Aging: COH faculty offer new insights on mental health, culture, and community

 |  Alison Miller  |  , , ,

Division of Population Health Sciences Associate Professor Dr. Britteny Howell recently published two new studies that investigates the relationship between aging and mental health. Her research seeks to explore gaps in existing literature about how the experience of aging is shape by factors like social context, culture, activities, beliefs, environment, and more.

Dr. Corrie Whitmore stands in front of windows on the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ campus. She is wearing glasses and smiling. Read More

College of Health faculty leads the way in FASD prevention through nurse education

 |  Alison Miller  |  , , ,

Dr. Corrie Whitmore, an associate professor in the Division of Population Health Sciences, and her team at Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµâ€™s Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services are celebrating the recent publication of a new article. The paper, which was published in the Dec. 2025 issue of Nursing for Women’s Health, offers a framework and actionable strategies for nurses to improve communication and patient experience in discussions around substance use and contraception.

Amana Mbise stands in front of a screen with a slide that reads "Background: Barbershops and Health." He is gesturing and speaking to an audience (not pictured) Read More

Researchers examine the role Black barbershops play as health care spaces for men

 |  Matt Jardin  |  , , ,

School of Social Work Assistant Professor Amana Mbise and ISER Research Assistant Professor Nathan West are exploring the relationships that Black barbershops play in men's health. Their community-based research prioritizes the lived experiences of the men they talk to, and is revealing how barbershops function not just as grooming spaces, but as social and cultural hubs.

Stacy Brunquist stands in front of a wall of windows in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Spine. She is wearing a pink and white patterned shirt and smiling at the camera. Read More

COH graduate student commencement speaker Stacy Brunquist: Special delivery

 |  Matt Jardin  |  , ,

As a neonatal nurse practitioner at Providence Alaska Children’s Hospital and adjunct faculty member for the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ School of Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice alumna and graduate student hooding ceremony speaker for the fall Class of 2025 Stacy Brunquist weaves education into everything she does — training new caregivers, guiding parents learning to care for their newborns, and sharing knowledge with professionals from UtqiaÄ¡vik to Sitka.