Centers & Programs

Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center
Injuries kill more people under age 45 than all other causes of death combined. The Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center (SCIPRC) is one of 10 regional Centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that focus on the problem of injuries through three phases of injury control: prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation. The mission of the SCIPRC is to study intentional (e.g., homicide, suicide, sexual assault) and unintentional (e.g., motor vehicle crashes, drownings, falls) injuries in minority, socioeconomically disadvantaged and other underserved populations.

In June 1992, the SCIPRC was designated as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation. In this capacity, the SCIPRC assesses the extent and severity of traumatic brain injury and develops criteria for organization of services management, care and rehabilitation, and design of data collection and information monitoring systems. Graduate students have several ways in which they can affiliate with SCIPRC: academic coursework in injury, research experience with on-going investigations, and support for independent graduate student research. Interested students should contact the Center Director.

Center for Occupational and Environmental Health
The state of California established an Occupational Health Center within the University of California in 1979. The goal of the Center for Occupational and Envioronmental Health (COEH) is to stimulate and support multi-disciplinary efforts to enhance research and teaching of occupational safety and health. Opportunities for field study and research are available. Drs. Leeka Keifitz, Beate Ritz, Michelle Wilhelm-Turner and Zuo-Feng Zhang are associated with the Center. Students interested in occupational epidemiology should contact Dr. Ritz.

Center for Metabolic Disease Prevention
The Center for Metabolic Disease Prevention brings the best science to bear on the challenge of controlling the global epidemic of metabolic diseases, and provides leadership in metabolic disease prevention through interdisciplinary research, improving patient care and creating educational initiatives for students, health professionals and the public. This pioneering center is one of the first in the nation to integrate laboratory-based and population-based sciences in studying mechanisms and strategies for metabolic diseases prevention. In doing so, the Center unifies the many strengths and expertise of UCLA’s departments and schools to investigate all facets of metabolic diseases and provides comprehensive multidisciplinary education and research training opportunities for students ranging from “sick” molecules to “sick” populations. For more information about the Center’s Burroughs Wellcome Fund Inter-school Training Program in Metabolic Diseases (BWF-IT-MD) and other programs, please visit www.mdtp.mednet.ucla.edu and http://nutrigen.ph.ucla.edu.

Program for Laboratory Science
The program for laboratory science is an interdisciplinary program focused on preparing individuals to qualify as public health laboratory directors. Applicants with appropriate undergraduate laboratory courses, citizen or permanent resident status, and a commitment to pursue a career as a public health laboratory director are eligible for consideration. The program provides a generous yearly stipend, in-state tuition, and professional fees. Individuals accepted in the program will pursue an infectious disease/management curriculum leading to the Dr.P.H. in Epidemiology. For further information, contact Dr. Sydney M. Harvey.

UCLA Program in Global Health
The UCLA Program in Global Health partners with academic institutions in developing countries to advance prevention, policy, and clinical research for HIV/AIDS and other diseases in all regions of the world. We work with our developing-country partners to integrate treatment and prevention of HIV, implement innovative prevention programs, stimulate the implementation of beneficial policies and laws, address gender inequity, and train the next generation of U.S. and developing-country scientists and advocates to continue this essential work.