SOPH students and faculty share solutions at Mississippi Health Disparities 2025
Students and faculty from the John D. Bower School of Population Health were well-represented at this year’s Mississippi Health Disparities conference (MHD2025), held June 4–6 at the Sheraton Flowood The Refuge Hotel & Conference Center. The event brought together health leaders, policymakers, researchers, and community advocates to share strategies for eliminating disparities and promoting equity across the state.
MHD2025 was hosted in partnership between Mississippi INBRE and Empowering Communities for a Healthy Mississippi, creating a dynamic platform for collaboration across sectors. SOPH students and faculty contributed their voices to several key sessions:
Opening Plenary: Making the Health of Mississippians a Priority
Featured panelists included Dr. Thomas Dobbs and public health leaders discussing the impact of state and federal policy on population health outcomes.Concurrent Session I: Addressing Social Determinants & Communication Strategies
Brieah Hudson, James Robinson, Md Minhazul Abedin and Juanita Graham presented innovative approaches to health equity in underserved communities.Concurrent Session II: Public Health Strategies to Advance Mental Health Disparities
Utsav Nandi, Brenda Foster, Amanda Freeman, Jon Hubanks, Sophie Durham and Damien Thomas shared community-driven strategies for improving mental health access and support.Concurrent Session II: Innovative Approaches to Advancing Maternal Health
Manuela Staneva, Thomas Dobbs, Tearsanee Davis and Tiffany Regan discussed bold, data-informed practices to improve maternal outcomes in Mississippi.Concurrent Session IV: Progress in Reporting & Data Visualization
Tasnim Tabassum, Sujan Anreddy, John Bartkowski, and Colleen Stouffer explored how data can be used to identify gaps and drive equity-focused program development.
Through their research, presentations, and policy insights, SOPH participants helped elevate the conversation around actionable, community-anchored solutions to some of Mississippi’s most pressing health disparities.