Temple University's College of Public Health has published the inaugural issue of CommonHealth, a new academic journal presenting peer-reviewed articles from both the Temple University community and outside contributors.
“CommonHealth has tremendous potential to highlight the research and scholarship of our students and faculty not only to our on-campus community, but also to our alumni as well as the citizens of the region and our public health colleagues around the country and world,” said David B. Sarwer, associate dean for research.
The journal is managed by the college’s graduate students, who take on all aspects of production, from soliciting and editing articles to publication and promotion. Molly Beiting, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Hamlet Gasoyan, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Health Services Administration and Policy, serve as co-editors in chief.
"Our goal is to grow our editorial board with a focus on representation from talented students and accomplished professionals," Gasoyan says.
Jacqueline Spitzer, project director for Temple's Center for Obesity Research and Education, is managing editor; Jennifer Ibrahim, associate dean for academic affairs, and Sarwer are faculty editors. Authors from Temple University and the public health community at large are invited to submit original research, research commentary, clinical innovation and practice, teaching innovation and practice, community connection articles, and multimedia for consideration.
“The journal provides a valuable educational experience for all to better understand the publishing process, encouraging them to pursue peer-reviewed publication. The journal also invites our faculty to publish across our areas of expertise," said Ibrahim.
Articles in the inaugural issue include:
- “Body Mass Index as a Patient Selection Criterion for Kidney Transplant, authored by Temple's Megan Urbanski, Salini Inaganti, Chidera Agu, David Sarwer, and Heather Gardiner from the department of social and behavioral sciences
- Differences in Human Motoneuron Excitability Between Functionally Diverse Muscles an examination of muscle-control mechanisms by Temple's Christopher Taylor, Tyler Kmiec, and Christopher Thompson, from the Departments of Kinesiology and Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
- Changes in Clinical Measures and Tissue Adaptations in College Swimmers Across a Competetive Season, jointly authored by researchers from the Department of Kinesiology, as well as from Arcadia and Drexel Universities
- Effects of Vestibular Training on Postural Control of Healthy Adults , a collaboration between the college's Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Department of Physical Therapy at University of the Sciences
- Exploring mindfulness and its psychosocial correlates in a population of low-income, female, tobacco smokers with young children, a research letter by Samantha Davis, an MPH candidate, and Bradley Collins and Stephen Lepore of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Though planning for the journal began before the current public health crisis, the evolving situation "has crystallized the importance of the disciplines encompassed in our college," said Laura A. Siminoff, dean of the College of Public Health. "Health-focused research is critical to improving the health and well-being of Americans and key to improving the U.S. healthcare system and, importantly, the public health infrastructure."
The college is home to more than 50 academic programs within 17 disciplines. In 2018, the work of College of Public Health investigators was supported by over $22 million dollars in funding. Students at every level in the college participate in meaningful collaborations with faculty, receive hands-on research training, and produce impactful research.