Centers

Center List

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Center for Child, Adolescent, and Family Life Epidemiology (CAFLE)
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The Center for Child, Adolescent, and Family Life Epidemiology (CAFLE) uses epidemiological approaches - in collaboration with other approaches such as ethnography and qualitative studies in multi-disciplinary studies - to investigate child, adolescent, and family life in a manner that includes, but expands upon, narrow definitions of health. The Center conducts both descriptive and evaluative work that addresses key challenges and interventions both in the U.S. and abroad. It recognizes that an environment of scholarly and lively debate is essential to its mission, as are adherence to stringent research methodology and cooperative partnerships with the community at large.

The Center's areas of expertise include perinatal interventions, the study of injury, child development and disability, family violence, maternal and perinatal outcomes, and multicultural influences on health and well-being. Frequent methodological themes include randomized trials of community and institutional interventions, evaluation of measures of well-being in children and their families, measurement of disability and of functional status, and approaches to screening. CAFLE conducts research and provides training to masters, doctoral and postdoctoral students as well as mentoring to junior faculty.
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Center for Community Health & Education (CCHE)
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The Center for Community Health & Education, located in Upper Manhattan, improves the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents, women, and men by providing high quality and comprehensive medical, mental health, and health education services. The Center advances service innovations through community partnerships, research, teaching, and advocacy. Patients are treated equally with dignity, courtesy, and confidentiality, regardless of ability to pay.

In collaboration with the Ambulatory Care Network at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the Center operates a community-based Family Planning and Young Men’s Clinic that provides services annually to 12,000 women and 1,900 men, who together represent more than 25,000 visits per year. In partnership with the New York City Department of Education, the Center also operates seven school-based health centers in Washington Heights and Central Harlem that serve approximately 9,000 students with medical, mental health, and health education services. With over 42,000 visits per year, the Center was the first community-based program in the United States to provide continuity of care for patients from intermediate school to high school to family planning clinic.
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Center for Gender, Sexuality and Health (CGSH)
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The Center for Gender, Sexuality and Health promotes research and training activities on the social and cultural dimensions of gender and sexuality, and conducts policy-relevant research on issues related to sexual health, sexual rights, and sexual education. The Center develops programs related to diverse cultures and communities, including ethnic and sexual minorities, both in the United States and internationally.

The Center recognizes that training junior researchers and members of community-based organizations in sexuality research methodology is integral to further develop policy-relevant research on gender, sexuality, and their relation to health. For this reason, the Center has partnered in a number of ongoing research projects to provide training in ethnographic research design and data collection mentoring for studies on issues related to gender, sexuality, and health.

In addition to conducting research and training programs, the Center strives to improve information sharing and the dissemination of research findings, and to promote collaborative partnerships among researchers, advocates, practitioners, and policy makers working on issues related to gender, sexuality, and health. To this end, it sponsors lectures, seminars, and research meetings on a regular basis to provide scholars and practitioners the opportunity to share information about their projects. These events also serve to increase dialogue within the Department of Sociomedical Sciences and throughout other departments at the Mailman School of Public Health.
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Center for Infection and Immunity (CII)
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The Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) is dedicated to global research and training programs focused on pathogen surveillance and discovery, and to understanding how gene-environment-timing interactions contribute to health and disease. In addition to establishing and implementing programs for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of acute outbreaks of infectious disease, Center for Infection and Immunity scientists investigate chronic diseases in which prenatal or early life exposure to infections or immunotoxins may be implicated, including premature birth, cerebral palsy, autism, AD/HD, obsessive compulsive disorders, schizophrenia, type I diabetes mellitus, and some forms of cancer.

This work is pursued using animal models, genomic and proteomic tools, and unique databases and biological materials shared by partners in a global network. The CII hosts the WHO Collaborating Centre for Diagnostics in Zoonotic and Emerging Infectious Diseases, the International Committee of Viruses Database, the Northeast Biodefense Center, and the Autism Birth Cohort.
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Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiologic Research (CIDER)
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The Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiologic Research (CIDER) at the Mailman School of Public Health supports research and training opportunities in the epidemiology of infectious diseases of domestic and international significance. The program expands teaching and training in infectious diseases epidemiology with the goal of developing cadres of young investigators devoted to this area of research. CIDER-affiliated faculty conduct collaborative research on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, nosocomial infections, emerging infections, and vaccines. In addition, the Center works closely with federal, state, and international agencies that are involved in the prevention and control of infectious diseases.
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Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health (CHEPH)
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The Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health unites academic historians, public health practitioners, and educators in a collective effort to give history a prominent role in health policy and public health analyses. It is the first such center of its kind to be established at a school of public health.

The Center primarily serves a research mission but also engages actively in training. Its research agenda focuses on a wide range of topics ranging from environmental and public health ethics to immigration and public health policy concerns. Its training component is a joint effort to instruct doctoral and master’s students in the uses of historical and ethical analysis of public health and medicine; this is accomplished through the MPH and PhD Program in the History and Ethics of Public Health and Medicine, a program that brings together the faculties of three of the nation's leading research and educational units: The Department of Sociomedical Sciences at the Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University; the Center for the Study of Society and Medicine at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons; and the Department of History at the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
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Center for the Psychosocial Study of Health and Illness (CPSHI)
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Established in 1997, the Center for the Psychosocial Study of Health and Illness is a multidisciplinary research group that investigates the psychological, social, and practical issues impacting patients and their informal caregivers as they relate to: (1) adaptation to illness, (2) surviving illness, or (3) being at risk for disease. Key areas of interest include the adaptive tasks facing those with chronic disease, life-threatening disease, and end-of-life issues; patients' strategies for coping with their illness-related challenges and the life changes they necessitate; and the impact of these changes on their quality of life and that of their families and informal caregivers. Populations of interest include those with HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, HCV infection, and heart disease. Directed by Drs. Karolynn Siegel and Victoria H. Raveis, the Center strives to ensure that vulnerable, underserved, and hard-to-reach populations are represented in its study samples.

Studies conducted by the Center share a common applied public health focus and are designed to inform policy and advance public health service. Funding for the Center staff’s research is provided primarily through a diverse group of NIH institutes, as well as through the Health and Human Services Research Administration, the American Cancer Society, the Department of Defense, New York State, and several philanthropic foundations.

Interdisciplinary collaboration is central to the Center's mission. Research teams include sociologists, health psychologists, anthropologists, health educators, social workers, and nurses. The Center works with scholars at other national and international institutions as well as with community-based organizations, and it hosts both pre- and post-doctoral researchers from around the world.
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Center for the Study of Social Inequalities and Health (CSSIH)
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The Center for the Study of Social Inequalities and Health (familiarly known as the Inequalities Center – or CSSIH) is a multidisciplinary collaboration of researchers dedicated to understanding and addressing connections between social inequalities and health.

The Center's work focuses on societal divisions - rich and poor, black and white, male and female, gay and straight, immigrant and old order, "us" and "them" - as well as the stigmatizing effects of such health conditions as HIV, mental illness, and physical disability. The Center seeks to produce understanding about inequalities that both divide us and influence our chances for a healthy life by: producing knowledge about inequalities and health through rigorous, sound research; disseminating such knowledge locally, nationally, and internationally; training and mentoring a new generation of scholars in the field of inequality studies; and promoting racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic diversity in the faculty, staff, and student body of the Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University and increasing awareness of diversity issues among faculty and administration.
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Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH)
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The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) conducts community-based research studies of mothers and newborns in the United States, China, and Poland. The Center's research examines the health effects of prenatal and early postnatal exposures to common urban pollutants, with the aim of preventing environmentally related disease in children.

In addition, CCCEH is dedicated to translating the Center’s research findings into useable health information for communities that are disproportionately affected by environmental pollutants. In partnership with WE ACT for Environmental Justice, the Center launched the Healthy Home Healthy Child community education campaign in 2000 to raise the overall environmental health awareness of New York City residents in Washington Heights, Harlem, and the South Bronx. The campaign provides parents with practical tips for reducing harmful exposures and protecting their children’s health, informs physicians and their patients about the health effects of environmental hazards, and conducts educational workshops for community leaders advocating for better air quality and other environmental improvements that will elevate the health status of these neighborhoods.
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Columbia Center for Homelessness Prevention Studies (CHPS)
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The Columbia Center for Homelessness Prevention Studies (CHPS) is a multidisciplinary effort to research homelessness and develop ways to prevent chronic homelessness among people with severe mental illness, who comprise about 25 percent of homeless adults age 18 and older. The Center collaborates with the New York State Psychiatric Institute, the Mailman School of Public Health, and with many other departments and schools at Columbia University.

Founded in October 2005 with funds from the National Institute of Mental Health, the Center is the nation’s only NIMH-funded research center for the development of new and more effective approaches to homelessness prevention. The Center brings together scientists from many disciplines and departments, including psychiatry, social work, economics, and urban planning. The Center is positioned to become a national resource for new methods of prevention and early intervention, providing models for service delivery nationwide as municipalities plan to implement the federal Interagency Council on Homelessness initiative to End Chronic Homelessness in Ten Years. Collaborators in this effort include researchers affiliated with Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, and New York University, providers of homeless services in the greater New York City region, and the New York City Department of Homeless Services.
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Columbia Center for Youth Violence Prevention (CCYVP)
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Established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2000 as an Academic Center of Excellence, the Columbia Center for Youth Violence Prevention promotes a multi-level perspective on youth violence though a “person-in context-through time” perspective. This perspective sees multiple levels of influence on youth violence and multiple pathways through which such influence is expressed. The Center is a joint effort of the Mailman School of Public Health, the Institute for Child and Family Policy, the New York State Psychiatric Institute, the New York City Department of Health, and community-based organizations serving families and neighborhoods in New York City.
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Harlem Health Promotion Center (HHPC)
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The Harlem Health Promotion Center (HHPC) works with community organizations, academic institutions, and governmental agencies to address health issues within the Harlem community and to improve the health and well-being of Harlem residents. From supporting HIV-positive youth to promoting dental health for the orderlies, HHPC strives to reduce the health gap experienced by Harlem residents relative to other populations.

HHPC is one of 33 prevention research centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is administered by the Department of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School in conjunction with a community advisory board whose role is to ensure that research and programs target issues of genuine concern to the local residents. The community advisory board is involved in planning projects, analyzing research data, and ensuring that research results are shared with the community in a meaningful and effective manner. The Center maintains strong links to Harlem Hospital, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and other academic and community medical centers; the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; the New York State Department of Health; and an expanding network of community partners.
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Imprints Center for Genetic and Environmental Lifecourse Studies
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The Imprints Center for Genetic and Environmental Lifecourse Studies (the Imprints Center) is an international collaborative birth cohort research program that seeks to uncover the causes of a broad range of health and disease, including psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia, autism and ADHD, obesity, cardiovascular disease, reproductive performance, and breast and ovarian cancers.

The Center explores such risk factors as prenatal exposures to infectious disease and toxic chemicals, childhood nutrition and environment, and genetics, as well as the interplay of genetic and environmental risk factors. The Imprints Center provides a unique setting for intellectual exchange, for supporting methodological strategies, and for identifying new research opportunities, as well as for training interested colleagues and students.
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International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP)
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The International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health is a global leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Working largely in sub-Saharan Africa, the region most severely affected by the AIDS epidemic, ICAP partners with Ministries of Health and local organizations to build high-quality and sustainable prevention, care, and treatment programs for HIV and related health conditions.

The ICAP approach builds on the MTCT-Plus Initiative, a groundbreaking program founded in 2002 that champions comprehensive HIV services for HIV-infected women and their families. ICAP works in 13 resource-limited countries supporting national HIV programs at 900 sites. Since it was founded in 2004, ICAP has been instrumental in providing more than 750,000 people with access to HIV care and 358,000 individuals with HIV treatment. ICAP’s goals are to expand access to HIV services while strengthening health systems through technical and financial support. In addition, ICAP-supported programs are distinguished for their multidisciplinary, patient-focused approach that actively engages people living with HIV/AIDS.
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National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP)
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The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) is the nation’s foremost public policy center advocating economic security, health, and well-being for America’s low-income children and their families. Currently more than 28 million children in the United States live in families struggling to make ends meet; the Center's work recognizes that the nation's best interests lie in finding ways to facilitate a more secure future for these children.

NCCP promotes family-oriented solutions at the state and national levels, undertaking research that drives policy and practice in order to improve outcomes for succeeding generations. With an impressive track record of highlighting emerging challenges and offering insights into turning research into practice, NCCP has earned the respect of direct service providers, advocates, and media across the country.
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National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP)
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The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) is an academic-based resource center dedicated to the study, analysis, and enhancement of the nation's ability to prepare for and respond to major disasters, including terrorism. The NCDP has a wide-ranging research, education and advocacy agenda, with special focus on mega disasters, psychosocial vulnerabilities, and disaster recovery. Senior faculty and staff have testified at Congressional hearings, presented at numerous conferences and meetings, and consulted with governmental, healthcare, non-profit, industry, and community leaders.

Founded in 2003 by Irwin Redlener, MD, the NCDP engages the public health workforce and communities in preparing for catastrophic events while helping to integrate preparedness efforts into the nation’s existing public health infrastructure. The Center encompasses the CDC-funded Center for Public Health Preparedness at Columbia, which has trained over 15,000 responders in public health preparedness, incident management, and recognition and response to incidents involving weapons of mass destruction. Training methods include table-top drills, exercises, and distance learning technologies.
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NIEHS Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan
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The NIEHS Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan represents a collaboration of basic research scientists, biostatisticians, epidemiologists, physicians, and organizations and individuals within the community to study and address the environmental causes of disease. Much of the Center’s work focuses on the effects of indoor and outdoor air pollution with an emphasis on pollution’s impact on disadvantaged communities, whose exposure to hazardous environmental substances is relatively high.

Other areas of research include oxidative stress, gene-environment interactions, and epigenetics, with an emphasis on studies of cancer, respiratory disorders, particularly asthma as well as neurotoxicology, and neurodegenerative disease. While many studies take place in Northern Manhattan, Center investigators are carrying out work around the world in China, Africa, Bangladesh, and elsewhere.
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New York New Jersey Public Health Training Center (NYNJ PHTC)
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The New York New Jersey Public Health Training Center (NYNJ PHTC) is one of 14 Public Health Training Centers nationwide funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Its mission is to provide fundamental training to public health workers, which the Center accomplishes by offering free, flexible training programs in distance-accessible and classroom-based formats; many of these programs confer continuing education credits.

The NYNJ PHTC is administered collaboratively by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, the University at Albany School of Public Health, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Public Health, and various state, city, county, and local health departments throughout New York and New Jersey.
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