Liz Klein, professor and chair of the Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion, College of Public Health, has been awarded a 2026-2027 Fulbright U.S. Specialist award to Brazil to research “Structuring Impactful Health Science.”
For two weeks in October, Klein will be working with the Program in Biological Chemistry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro to strategically align their research and educational outputs with pressing global health challenges; in her role, Klein will advise on how to modify, evaluate and refine their curriculum and performance metrics to meet this goal. She will also contribute to training activities for faculty and graduate students focused on global health integration, research translation and policy-relevant science.
“I aim to collaborate on innovative ways to incorporate public health content and research opportunities into their program. I look forward to sharing ideas on practices to foster more impactful, interdisciplinary, and socially relevant research,” Klein explained.
Since 1995 Klein has focused her career on the research and practice of disease prevention. She believes teaching the next generation of public health professionals is a key part of her professional duties.
“I consider myself a public health 'lifer,' I am especially excited to be selected as the Fulbright Specialist that will help build stronger bridges in global health, enhancing the program’s ability to train professionals who integrate scientific excellence with social engagement.”
Klein previously received the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Applied Public Policy in 2021 at Flinders University in Australia. She used eye-tracking technology to study the potential effectiveness of new stop-smoking images and messages designed for pregnant women and those of reproductive age. The project was designed to help build stronger messages and campaigns to promote smoking cessation among this vulnerable population, eventually improving the health of both women and their children.
Fulbright Specialist Program
The Fulbright Specialist Program is administered by World Learning and is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
For more information about the Fulbright Specialist Program, contact Joanna Kukielka-Blaser.