On the Heights: February 2026
February highlights include faculty expertise on AI-driven cancer research, youth violence prevention, farmworker housing policy, epigenetics and ultra-processed foods, and a new state advisory appointment.
Health Care Access Results
High nursing school debt, proposed education loan caps threaten US health care access
Nearly a third of registered nurses and advanced practice nurses in Michigan carry sizable student loan debt that is influencing their decision to leave the profession, according to a new study from the University of Michigan.
As Medicaid work requirements loom, study finds links between coverage, better health & higher employment
Biggest job gains seen among low-income adults with serious health problems whose health improved over time
On the Heights: October 2025
Faculty research shapes policy debates on mass deportation, SNAP benefits, and health communication while centers expand lifecourse research focus and new technology advances lab safety training.
Investigating racism's impact on birth outcomes
Q&A with University of Michigan researcher Safyer McKenzie-Sampson on racism’s impact on reproductive health
Safyer McKenzie-Sampson is the John G. Searle Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She focuses her research on the multi-level impacts of racial discrimination on adverse perinatal outcomes in Black communities. Her work uniquely examines these outcomes through the lens of maternal nativity, highlighting the experiences of Black immigrants
Likelihood, potential impacts of federal shutdown: University of Michigan experts can comment
University of Michigan researchers are available to share their insights on a federal government shutdown at the end of the day Tuesday, unless lawmakers break the impasse and make a deal before then.