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Department of Social and Behavioral Health News

Housed in the UNLV School of Public Health, the Department of Social and Behavioral Health consists of faculty who engage in research and develop and evaluate community-based programs that promote health and disease prevention. Our students learn to identify high-risk behaviors or trends in specific populations, as well as propose solutions that aim to improve overall public health in communities.

Current Social and Behavioral Health News

June campus horizon shot
Campus News |

The top headlines featuring UNLV’s staff and students.

Spring flowers
Campus News |

The students and faculty of UNLV are springing into headlines around the country.

Tim Grigsby sitting on a UNLV bench in the Academic Mall
People |

After an unexpected start in public health, this professor of social and behavioral health is uncovering the complexities of substance misuse and childhood trauma.

A UNLV student studies with the Strip in the distance.
Campus News |

Headlines and highlights featuring the students and faculty of UNLV.

unlv pumpkins
Campus News |

A monthly roundup of the top news stories at UNLV, featuring the presidential election, gaming partnerships, and much more.

Josh Hawkins, UNLV
Campus News |

News highlights featuring UNLV students and staff who made (refreshing) waves in the headlines.

Social and Behavioral Health In The News

Indica News

Drinking alcohol is widely prevalent in the United States despite its well-recognized deleterious health sequelae. Alcohol comes in various forms (e.g., beer, wine, rum, whisky, etc.), but all of them contain ethanol; thus, the health risks are the same regardless of the form.

IndiaCurrents

Dr. Manoj Sharma, a Professor of Social and Behavioral Health and Internal Medicine, answers queries on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Indica News

A lot of us enjoy eating chocolates and have often wondered if there is any health benefit of eating them, or if they are detrimental to health.

New India Abroad

Professor of Social and Behavioral Health, Manoj Sharma, explains how yoga reevaluates modern stress and global unity.

Indica News

With the start of summer, there is abundant sunshine in most parts of the United States. This is the time to reaffirm an important behavior: sunscreen use. Skin cancer poses a significant public health problem in our country. Approximately 9,500 people in the US are diagnosed with skin cancer every day. The main types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. Melanoma is the least common but the deadliest, and it can spread more easily. While skin cancers are more common in Whites, they can affect any race or socioeconomic status.

India Currents

Dr. Manoj Sharma, a Professor of Social and Behavioral Health and Internal Medicine, answers queries about hoarding disorder.

Social and Behavioral Health Experts

An expert on health behavior and coping with stress.
An expert on health disparities and LGBTQ aging adults with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
An expert on drug misuse and addiction.
An expert on lactation, breastfeeding, and maternal and child health and nutrition.

Recent Social and Behavioral Health Accomplishments

Manoj Sharma (Social and Behavioral Health; Internal Medicine) was recognized for his new book, "Introspective meditations for complete contentment (Santosha), 2nd. ed." through publication of a review in the prestigious, Italian Journal of Psychology and Occupational Health. The book provides a roadmap for applying one's own cognitive power to…
Manoj Sharma (Social & Behavioral Health; Internal Medicine) was interviewed by New India Abroad on his new book, Introspective Meditations for Complete Contentment (Santosha) (2nd edition), on the International Yoga Day. New India Abroad is a leading newspaper for the Indian diaspora residing in the United States and other countries. The…
Manoj Sharma (Social & Behavioral Health; Internal Medicine) coauthored an article titled, “Geographical distribution disparities and prediction of health satisfaction among middle-aged and elderly adults in China: An analysis based on national data” in the journal, Annals of Epidemiology (Impact factor 3.3) in collaboration with coauthors…
Asma Awan (Social and Behavioral Health), Kara Radzak (Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences), and Manoj Sharma (Social and Behavioral Health and Department of Internal Medicine), published a paper titled, "A Theory-Based Approach to Explain the Correlates of Safe Physical Activity in Pregnant and Postpartum Individuals," in the Journal of Health and…
Manoj Sharma (Social & Behavioral Health; Internal Medicine) coauthored an article titled, “Beyond traditional training: a comprehensive CIPP evaluation of medical internships: assessing program design, implementation, and clinical competency outcomes” in the journal, BMC Medical Education (Impact factor 2.7) in collaboration with coauthors…
Sidath Kapukotuwa, Manoj Sharma, Christopher Johansen (all Social and Behavioral Health), and Kavita Batra (Medicine) published an article titled, "Testing the efficacy of RESPONSIBLEPLAY©: A multi-theory model (MTM)-based intervention protocol for promoting responsible gambling among college students," in the International Journal of…