New Scholars to Investigate How Health is Influenced by Debt and Discrimination

Madison, Wisconsin - The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health will host two new post-doctoral researchers as a part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholars program.

Dr. Thomas Fuller-Rowell and Dr. Jason Houle were chosen along with 10 others to complete research at one of six nationally prominent universities.

In addition to UW-Madison, Harvard University, Columbia University, the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania, University of California-Berkeley and University of California-San Francisco also host Health and Society Scholars.

Fuller-Rowell, who received his PhD in developmental psychology from Cornell University, plans to expand his knowledge of physiological systems relating to stress, gain exposure to interdisciplinary perspectives on population health, and contribute to addressing current limitations in the literature on discrimination and health.

Houle, who received his PhD in sociology and demography from Pennsylvania State University, plans to examine the relationship between debt and mental health over the life course.

Beginning in August, the two will arrive in Madison to begin two years of research, using interdisciplinary approaches to investigate the broad social factors affecting the nation's health.

They will join three continuing scholars who are in their second year of the program:

• Dr. James Broesch, an anthropologist who is studying how cultural factors affect health
• Dr. Emily Walton, a sociologist who is examining how living in ethnic enclaves might be protective of health
• Dr. Carolyn McAndrews, an urban planner and transportation engineer, who is studying how transportation and other built environmental factors affect health and health disparities

The Madison program is directed by professors John Mullahy and David Kindig, of population health sciences, and Stephanie Robert, professor of social work.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholars program is designed to build the nation's capacity for research, leadership and policy change to address the broad range of factors that affect health.