UConn Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy

10/21/2026

“Weight loss maintenance is one of the most challenging problems in obesity treatment, regardless of how the original weight loss was achieved,” says Tricia Leahey, InCHIP Director and Professor of Allied Health Sciences.

A new NIH award will support a UConn-led trial for behavioral weight loss maintenance interventions

10/13/2026

“Being kind, supportive, and loving to a person who is navigating dementia is not just benefiting that one person. Based on this study, it ripples through to anybody else who really cares about that person. That’s a beautiful piece of this study,” says Amanda Cooper, an assistant professor of communication and InCHIP PI.

She and grad students from the UConn departments of communication and human development and family sciences studied how social connections shift for people with dementia and their caregivers as the disease progresses. While relationships change naturally, positive and negative social interactions may trigger more movement in the context of dementia.

‘Providing support for the spouse and patient together as part of their medical experience could be a really good way to bolster the caregivers and, in turn ...

10/12/2026

Steven Kinsey is a professor in the University of Connecticut Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing and InCHIP affiliate whose latest work finds that cannabinol, also called CBN, a plant-derived, over-the-counter sleep product, has addictive potential. While its effects are milder than THC, Kinsey and his collaborators found that it engages some of the same receptor systems involved in cannabis dependence. Until more is known about dosing and long-term effects, he says buyers should beware.

'Until we know more about dosing and long-term effects, the message for consumers is simple: buyer beware'

09/29/2026

How can researchers partner with community stakeholders to create relevant and engaging tools that support health and inform policy? Collaborative dialogue can foster trust and improve the design and usability of tools.

In our first Lecture Series event of the semester, Debarchana Ghosh, a health geographer and professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, discussed how she worked with colleagues at the University of Maryland and communities to develop an index that systematically measures the health impacts of discriminatory policy.

You can watch a recording of her lecture at https://s.uconn.edu/ghoshlecture

09/29/2026

InCHIP is proud to co-sponsor the 4th annual Moving Beyond conference, which connects researchers and policymakers to advance evidence-based policy in Connecticut. Researchers who want to present their policy-relevant work during the conference have until Thursday, October 15 to submit an abstract.

Learn more about the conference and find submission guidelines at https://s.uconn.edu/movingbeyond2026

I’m excited to announce the return of the Moving Beyond Implications Policy Conference — a day dedicated to moving from research, with the rigor to pass peer review, to actionable policy solutions. This conference is my pride and joy and I am beyond grateful to partner with Kerri Raissian again!

Too often, important academic conversations end with the discussion of “policy implications.” This conference asks the next question: how can we pull the exact right policy lever.

We’ll bring together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, advocates, students, and community leaders to translate evidence into ideas that can inform real policy change.

Save the date and scan the QR below to register and submit abstracts!

09/28/2026

Some of Stamford’s most densely populated neighborhoods lack enough full-service grocery stores. As the city council considers a plan to offer financial incentives to attract more supermarkets to these areas, Kristen Cooksey Stowers, an assistant professor in UConn CAHNR, emphasizes the importance of community input in ensuring the plan meets local needs.

“They have a totally different perspective and burden and weight,” she says in this Stamford Advocate piece.

The president of Connecticut's grocery story trade association does not agree with the idea, saying “government handouts to individual businesses are not sound public policy.”

09/18/2026

Feel Your Best Self began as an idea to help elementary schoolers navigate big feelings. Since its 2022 launch, it has expanded to offer new resources that support emotional well-being across ages and settings. Read more about how Feel Your Best Self continues to evolve to meet the needs of kids, teens, and adults:

The tools that help kids and their caregivers navigate big feelings expand across ages and settings

09/16/2026

How might an individual’s residence, school, or workplace shape their health? Working with colleagues at UConn and the University of Maryland, Debs Ghosh, InCHIP PI and professor of geography in UConn CLAS, created the first national, community-informed tool that systematically measures the impact of socioeconomic policy on health and well-being in US communities.

Join us tomorrow for our first Lecture Series event of the semester with Debs Ghosh for a conversation about how she worked with communities to build the index.

RSVP and learn more at https://s.uconn.edu/inchip-lecture-ghosh

09/12/2026

InCHIP’s Lecture Series kicks off Thursday, September 17 with a presentation from Debs Ghosh (UConn CLAS) on developing a community-informed measure of structural racism and discrimination.

Join us this academic year for thought-provoking discussions on late-breaking findings and emerging trends in social and behavioral health research.

You can see the full schedule of Lecture Series events and learn more at https://s.uconn.edu/inchip-lecture-series

08/04/2026

Can mushrooms help clean up industrial waste at brownfield sites? Mia Maltz, an InCHIP PI and assistant professor in UConn CAHNR, and Ph.D. student Paulette Goyes are studying whether this is a viable strategy to clean up contaminated soil in Connecticut.

In a previous study, Maltz and her collaborators found that mushrooms helped reduce levels of certain contaminants at a brownfield site in Southern California. Now they are applying that research to a site in Collinsville to see how Connecticut’s wetter, more humid environment impacts remediation.

A promising new mushroom-based strategy may help with remediation efforts in Connecticut communities