Public Health Speaker Series
The Public Health Speaker Series is an innovative collection of lectures from experts in the field of public policy, public health, and more, designed for students in the public health, medicine, pharmacy, and nursing degree programs. The purpose of this seminar series is to provide an introduction to topics in public health.
Learn about Education Credits for our Public Health Speaker Series.
2026 Lecture Series
The Roots of Health: History, Economics, and Structural Disparities
Our 12th Annual Touro University California Public Health Speaker Series continues its tradition of bringing together experts, scholars, and community leaders to explore timely issues shaping public health and health equity. This year’s series looks upstream to examine the historical, economic, and structural forces that shape health and well-being. Speakers will explore themes including:
- History and its lasting impact on health, including how past policies and systems continue to influence present-day inequities
- Poverty, income, and economic inequality as fundamental drivers of health and opportunity
- Structural inequity and public health, examining how systems, policies, and institutions shape the conditions in which people live, work, and thrive
Together, the series will help connect the roots of inequity to the public health challenges we see today, and consider pathways toward healthier and more equitable communities.
Sessions
Immigration, Social Movements, and Poverty: A Global Perspective
Date: September 24, 2026 | 5 pm - 7 pm
Synopsis: Join as keynote speaker, Dr. Negrón-Gonzales examines immigration, education, economic conditions, and social policy, and how these forces influence opportunity, community well-being, and health.
Keynote Speaker: Genevieve Negrón-Gonzales, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Education at University of San Francisco
Native Communities, History, and Economic Well-Being
Date: October 15, 2026 | 5 pm - 7 pm
Synopsis: A historical perspective on the economic and social conditions that have shaped the health and well-being of Native communities, including the continuing influence of policy, land, education, and community resources.
Speaker: Cutcha Risling Baldy, Ph.D.
Professor, Native American Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt
Children, Poverty, and Public Policy
Date: October 29, 2026 | 5 pm - 7 pm
Synopsis: A policy and advocacy perspective on the economic and social conditions affecting children and families, with attention to how public policy can influence opportunity, health, and community well-being.
Speaker: Shimica Gaskins, JD
President & CEO at End Child Poverty CA, powered by GRACE
Poverty, Incarceration, and Economic Instability
Date: November 12, 2026 | 5 pm - 7 pm
Synopsis: An examination of the relationship between poverty and incarceration and how involvement with the criminal legal system can affect employment, housing, family economic stability, and health.
Speaker: Reuben Miller, Ph.D.
Chancellor's Professor, Department of Sociology at University of California, Berkeley
Local Perspectives on Homelessness and the Unhoused: Poverty, Economic Insecurity, and Public Health
Date: November 19, 2026 | 5 pm - 7 pm
Synopsis: The discussion will explore homelessness and the experiences of unhoused individuals and families in our local communities through a public health lens. We are particularly interested in the economic and structural conditions that contribute to housing instability and homelessness, the health consequences of being unhoused, and the challenges people face in accessing health care, housing, social services, and other supports.
Speaker: TBD
Poverty, Food, Insecurity, and Community Solutions
Date: December 3, 2026 | 5 pm - 7 pm
Synopsis: An examination of the relationship between poverty, access to nutritious food, and health, with attention to public policy, community programs, and practical approaches to improving food access.
Speaker: Lisa Goldman Rosas, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health and the Department of Medicine, Division of Primary Care at Stanford School of Medicine
Education Credits
Continuing Medical Education
The Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine—California is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine—California designates this live activity for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians and PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Digital Badge
If continuing education is not helpful to your professional goals, and you are not enrolled in the Social Justice Series for credit, you may be interested in obtaining a digital badge for your involvement in the series. For more information, see the Public Health Lecture Series.