Category: Blog & News

Polio, the race for a vaccine and one personal story

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Since the late 50s and 60s, many Americans have been able to grow up without ever developing measles, mumps or polio. Vaccines have made this possible and continue to be one of the best lines of defense for infectious disease.

Recently, our Smith/Patterson Fellow, Andria Caruthers, interviewed Carolyn Bening, a polio survivor and public health advocate, as part of our month-long look at vaccinations, how they work and why they still matter today. Against the backdrop of the race for an effective polio vaccine, hear Carolyn’s story and how polio affected her life, as well as her family’s. Watch now>>>

The power players in public health

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By Andria Caruthers, Smith/Patterson Fellow You can run, but you can’t “hide in the herd.” The herd of vaccinated people, that is. You see, some people think that if other kids are vaccinated, they don’t need to vaccinate their own. They think “hiding in the herd” of vaccinated kids is… Continue reading

I’m kind of a little big deal: Public health ninjas

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By Andria Caruthers, Smith/Patterson Fellow   What could ninjas and public health possibly have in common? Besides being pretty cool, both operate in similar ways. Ninjas battle the grimy and unsavory characters that threaten an unaware public. Their actions are mostly unseen and usually, you only notice them if something… Continue reading

Team Beans: Strat comm and ag science combine to improve food security in Africa

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What do you get by mixing beans, a trait for hot weather and brightly colored fabric? A bold strat comm campaign designed to improve food security among rural farmers in Mozambique. The campaign, The Mother Bean, was created by a team of AdZou journalism students as part of a collaboration… Continue reading

Marking NIAM this August

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Hey all! Did you know that August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM)? Each year, doctors, nurses and other public health leaders take this time to remind everyone how important immunizations, or shots, are, no matter where they are across the lifespan. In our month-long series we’ll explain just what… Continue reading

Batter up! Healthier foods on deck at parks this summer

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Local parks and swimming pools in Missouri are making the healthy choice the easy choice through Eat Smart in Parks. Designed to help park concessionaires make healthy eating options available to their customers, the HCRC partners with MU Extension to offer marketing support, as well as nutrition analysis, supply chain… Continue reading

Caruthers named 2015 Smith/Patterson Fellow

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We are delighted to announce that Andria Caruthers, a dual-degree master’s graduate in journalism and public health, has joined the HCRC as the 2015 Smith/Patterson Fellow. The Smith/Patterson Fellowship provides hands-on training in health and science communication for early career health/science journalists and communicators. In addition to her educational training,… Continue reading