Bernadette Boden-Albala
Director of Program in Public Health and Founding Dean of proposed School of Population Health UC Irvine
- Irvine CA
Bernadette Boden-Albala, Dr.P.H., is a renowned researcher & administrator who researches community-based stroke & heart disease prevention.
Media
Social
Biography
Areas of Expertise
Education
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
DrPH, MPH
Sociomedical Science
Media Appearances
Forbes
What Travelers Should Know About Infectious Disease Risk online
2026-06-01
Bernadette Boden-Albala, Founding Dean of the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health writes, “Most travel-related health risks … remain manageable with basic preparation and preventive habits, including … washing your hands regularly in high-contact spaces like airports, airplanes, and cruise ships. … full vaccination panels are up to date before departure, pay attention to travel health advisories, carry necessary medications, mask when feeling ill or in poorly ventilated venues, and understand what healthcare access may look like at their destination.”
The Shingles Virus May Speed Up Aging—Here’s How to Protect Yourself
Verywell Health online
2026-04-06
"The vaccine helps keep the virus in its dormant state, preventing those repeated reactivations that may drive inflammation and immune exhaustion," said Bernadette Boden-Albala, MPH, DrPH, director and founding dean of the Program in Public Health at the University of California, Irvine. "By reducing that ongoing immune stress, vaccination may not only prevent shingles itself, but also help preserve overall immune function as we age," she added.
The Air We Breathe Is A Health Equity Issue
Forbes online
2026-02-12
Bernadette Boden-Albala, founding dean of the Joe C. Wen School of Population and Public Health writes, “The White House has announced plans this week to rescind the 2009 endangerment finding that climate change poses a threat to the public. This action will remove the EPA’s authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. … this decision is not about savings. It is about who really bears the cost of air pollution. … As a health equity researcher, I rely on evidence. And decades of longitudinal research show that long-term exposure to air pollution shortens lives.”
These Are the Most Common COVID-19 Symptoms Doctors Are Seeing Right Now
Parade online
2025-12-01
Bernadette Boden-Albala, MPH, DrPH, founding dean of the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, agrees. “Based on trends from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control, we aren’t seeing new or unusual symptoms with the variants circulating now,” she says. “Stratus and Nimbus, current COVID variants, largely mirror previous strains, with symptoms like fever, cough, congestion and fatigue still the most common. The one unique feature of the Nimbus variant is a pronounced ‘razor blade’ sore throat, which clinicians are reporting more frequently.”
As RFK pushes MAHA, federal cuts shut down California health and nutrition programs
CalMatters online
2025-09-15
“It’s not good enough to say this is important,” said Bernadette Boden-Albala, dean of the school of population and public health at UC Irvine. “They talk about nutrition, but where’s the money on nutrition? Health departments are well-positioned to improve community health outcomes, Boden-Albala said, because their services are often aimed at improving systemic barriers that make it harder for people to be healthy.
Articles
Barriers to engagement in implementation science research: a national survey
Translational Behavioral MedicineTranslational Behavioral Medicine
2020
Low levels of engagement in implementation science (IS) among health researchers is a multifaceted issue. With the aim of guiding efforts to increase engagement in IS research, we sought to identify barriers to engagement in IS within the health research community. We performed an online survey of health researchers in the United States in 2018. Basic science researchers were excluded from the sample.
A Systematic Review of Environmental Health Outcomes in Selected American Indian and Alaska Native Populations
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health DisparitiesGabriella Y. Meltzer, Beverly-Xaviera Watkins, Dorice Vieira, Judith T. Zelikoff & Bernadette Boden-Albala
2020
Economic and social marginalization among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) results in higher chronic disease prevalence. Potential causal associations between toxic environmental exposures and adverse health outcomes within AI/AN communities are not well understood.
Abstract TP430: A Family/Friend Network Approach to Secondary Stroke Prevention: Findings From the FURRThER Pilot
StrokeBernadette Boden Albala, Joyce O'Connor, Noa Appleton, Michael Parides
2020
Despite prevention strategies with proven efficacy, recurrent stroke rates, especially in minority populations, remain high. Mobilizing stroke patients’ social networks on risk reduction goals may optimize secondary prevention efforts. Families/Friends Understanding Risk Reduction Through Educational Reinforcement (FURRThER) is a culturally-tailored, social network-based intervention facilitated by an interactive web portal and targeted at management of vascular risk factors.
Abstract WP366: Exploring the Association Between Physician Trust and Recurrent Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
StrokeAnita Venkatesan, Bernadette Boden-Albala, Nina Parikh, Emily Goldmann
2020
More positive health behaviors, fewer symptoms, higher quality of life, and greater treatment satisfaction have been reported among those with greater physician trust. This study assessed the relationship between physician trust and recurrent stroke/TIA within 1 year of discharge among stroke survivors in Northern Manhattan.
Unrecognized implementation science engagement among health researchers in the USA: a national survey
Implementation Science CommunicationsElizabeth R. Stevens, Donna Shelley, and Bernadette Boden-Albala
2020
Implementation science (IS) has the potential to serve an important role in encouraging the successful uptake of evidence-based interventions. The current state of IS awareness and engagement among health researchers, however, is relatively unknown
