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
New Nimbus & Stratus COVID Variants Are Spreading—Here’s Why Midlife Women Should Be Concerned
Flow Space online
2025-08-01
A key symptom of the Nimbus strain is a severe sore throat that many are calling “razor blade throat,” says Dr. Bernadette Boden-Albala, an epidemiologist and the director and founding dean of the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health. “This very sore throat is also associated with a raspy or strained voice,” she explains. “Other common symptoms mirror previous COVID strains like runny nose, headache, difficulty breathing and fatigue.”
The critical role of community and familial support in changing health behaviors and improving outcomes
Medical Xpress online
2025-07-17
A new qualitative study led by researchers from the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health offers critical insights into how Latino families in Orange County, Calif. understand cardiovascular disease and navigate heart-healthy decisions. … The 5-year study, called the Skills-Based Educational strategies for Reduction of Vascular Events in Orange County (SERVE OC), is a clinical trial led by principal investigator Bernadette Boden-Albala, MPH, DrPH, who is the founding dean, a social epidemiologist, and a professor of health, society, and behavior at Wen Public Health and the corresponding author of the paper.
A Scientific, Economic And Ethical Reflection On Women's (Health) History
Forbes online
2025-03-21
Bernadette Boden-Albala, Founding Dean of the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, writes: “In honor of this year’s Women’s History Month, it’s important to understand the history of research around women’s health and acknowledge that not only must we not abandon the progress we’ve made but we must also continue to push for research and practice that enhances our knowledge about women’s health issues from pregnancy to menopause and beyond. Continuing to prioritize a robust women’s health agenda is the scientifically, economically and ethically right thing to do.”
5 Years Later: Lessons Learned From The COVID-19 Pandemic
Forbes online
2025-03-10
Bernadette Boden Albala, Director and Founding Dean of UC Irvine Public Health writes, “While the scars of illness and feelings of loss of control linger, this anniversary offers an opportunity for critical reflection: to take stock of what we learned, what worked and how to better protect public health against future pandemics. One fact is certain: The nation’s frontline public health workers — doctors, nurses, social workers and staff up and down the hierarchy of our complex health delivery system — performed their jobs heroically to fight a novel virus, buying critical time until the first vaccines could be developed.”
Lifespan Versus Health Span – How Can We All Stay Healthier Longer?
Forbes online
2025-01-09
Bernadette Boden-Albala, director and founding dean of the Joe C. Wen School of Population and Public Health, states, “The distinction between lifespan—the number of years we live—and health span—the years we live free from disease or disability—is a critical conversation for public health, especially for disadvantaged communities that face systemic inequities. … As a public health researcher and higher education leader with three decades of experience addressing social determinants of health, I believe focusing on health span goes beyond semantics—it's about prioritizing quality of life over simply extending years. … Here are three strategies we can take, as individuals and as a society, to prioritize healthier lives for everyone.”
OC500 2024: Bernadette Boden-Albala
Orange County Business Journal online
2024-11-17
Tapped as founding dean for the newly created Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health.
Articles
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
