Research Challenge Areas

Innovative scholarship that breaks down silos.

As a non-departmentalized faculty, our collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to research sets us apart from traditional faculties. We investigate complex health challenges that require innovative solutions. Our expertise is broad, integrating natural sciences, social sciences and humanities with population health, policy and societal applications.

The Faculty is organized in six major research challenge areas to address the most pressing issues in health. We bring together researchers from different disciplines to strengthen each other’s investigations and explore today’s health questions from every angle. Though the areas of study are diverse, we are united by core themes: to improve health and reduce health inequities locally, nationally and globally with a commitment to social justice.

Approaching our research from multiple perspectives helps us cross-pollinate ideas—and our breakthroughs in one area find far-reaching applications throughout the health sciences. 

Core Themes

The Faculty of Health Sciences has identified “cross-cutting core themes” as central to its commitment to social justice and missions to improve health and reduce health inequities locally, nationally, and globally. These themes are:

Research Challenge Areas

Collaboration across disciplines is key to making progress in each of our research challenge areas:

Our foundation