Draft
2 min
Experts at the School of Health Professions and Human Services, the Saltzman Community Services Center, the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, and the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell are available to offer commentary on the most important health and wellness topics of the day, including:
Measles – More than 940 cases have been confirmed in 26 states this year, the greatest number reported in the United States since measles was declared eradicated in 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts who can discuss the impact of the outbreak on the general population, the misinformation that has spread about vaccinations, the debate over booster shots, and the difficulties faced by municipalities as they struggle to stem the spread of measles include public health professor Anthony Santella, DrPH, family nursing expert Maureen Houck, DNP, and infectious disease specialist Bruce Farber, MD.
Pregnancy and Depression -- New research led by Professor Maria Sanmartin, PhD found that more than half of pregnant women who are depressed do not seek treatment, and many instead turn to alternatives such as drugs and alcohol, marijuana, and painkillers. The study, published in the journal Psychiatric Services, looked at data from the five-year National Survey on Drug Use and Health of 12,360 women of reproductive age (18 to 44 years old) who reported symptoms of a major depressive episode in the last year. She can discuss how healthcare models can be improved to address the needs of this vulnerable group.
Suicide - Psychology professors William Sanderson, PhD and Mitchell Schare, PhD, director of the Phobia & Trauma Clinic, can discuss how to talk about this sensitive topic with vulnerable individuals including children, who went to ERs for suicidal thoughts and attempts in 2015 at twice the rate they did in 2007. Public health professor Martine Hackett, PhD can discuss trauma and traumatic grief as an underlying cause of many public health issues, including infant mortality, maternal mortality, substance use disorder, and sexually transmitted infections. She can also address how “diseases of despair” have contributed to a decline in life expectancy in the United States for two years in a row.
Dr. Hackett's research focuses on public health and health inequities, particularly in the American suburbs and minority communities.
Professor of Psychology and Director of the Phobia & Trauma Clinic
1 min
Jase Bernhardt, associate professor of geology, environment, and sustainability, recently joined FOX Weather to talk about his research that offers a virtual reality simulation of being caught in a rip current and teaches ways swimmers can navigate to safety.
1 min
Professor James Sample of the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University continued to provide legal analysis for national and regional media this month, appearing on ABC News, MSNBC’s MS Now, CNN, Sirius XM and Newsday to discuss developments involving executive power, federal investigations, election law, and high-profile litigation. Across these appearances, Professor Sample examined legal disputes surrounding President Trump’s proposed anti-weaponization fund, Department of Justice investigations and enforcement actions, election administration and redistricting battles, and questions involving government ethics and accountability. He also provided analysis of major court proceedings, including litigation involving OpenAI and Elon Musk, as well as broader issues at the intersection of law, politics, and democratic governance. Full story: https://lawnews.hofstra.edu/2026/06/10/professor-james-sample-provides-legal-analysis-for-abc-news-cnn/
1 min
Beyond bad luck, could there be a reason why recent weekends have been more rainy than the rest of the week? From the start of spring to the end of May, it rained on half, or 10, of 20 weekend days. By comparison, it rained one-third of the 46 workweek days. Newsday interviewed Jase Bernhardt, associate professor of geology, environment, and sustainability, to see if there is a scientific explanation for the frequently soggy Saturdays and Sundays. According to the National Weather Service, data collected over five, 10 and 40 years found that rain was not any more frequent on weekends than weekdays. It also found no statistically significant change in the overall occurrence of rain events. “You try to slice up these data sets in all these different ways, and inevitably, you will find random patterns that at first seem like something meaningful.” But often, he said, “when you peel back the data, look at an appropriate sample size, you realize it goes away, there wasn’t anything actually meaningful here.”
Check out some other posts from Hofstra University
1 min
Jase Bernhardt, associate professor of geology, environment, and sustainability, recently joined FOX Weather to talk about his research that offers a virtual reality simulation of being caught in a rip current and teaches ways swimmers can navigate to safety.
1 min
Professor James Sample of the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University continued to provide legal analysis for national and regional media this month, appearing on ABC News, MSNBC’s MS Now, CNN, Sirius XM and Newsday to discuss developments involving executive power, federal investigations, election law, and high-profile litigation. Across these appearances, Professor Sample examined legal disputes surrounding President Trump’s proposed anti-weaponization fund, Department of Justice investigations and enforcement actions, election administration and redistricting battles, and questions involving government ethics and accountability. He also provided analysis of major court proceedings, including litigation involving OpenAI and Elon Musk, as well as broader issues at the intersection of law, politics, and democratic governance. Full story: https://lawnews.hofstra.edu/2026/06/10/professor-james-sample-provides-legal-analysis-for-abc-news-cnn/
1 min
Beyond bad luck, could there be a reason why recent weekends have been more rainy than the rest of the week? From the start of spring to the end of May, it rained on half, or 10, of 20 weekend days. By comparison, it rained one-third of the 46 workweek days. Newsday interviewed Jase Bernhardt, associate professor of geology, environment, and sustainability, to see if there is a scientific explanation for the frequently soggy Saturdays and Sundays. According to the National Weather Service, data collected over five, 10 and 40 years found that rain was not any more frequent on weekends than weekdays. It also found no statistically significant change in the overall occurrence of rain events. “You try to slice up these data sets in all these different ways, and inevitably, you will find random patterns that at first seem like something meaningful.” But often, he said, “when you peel back the data, look at an appropriate sample size, you realize it goes away, there wasn’t anything actually meaningful here.”
