Jya Plavin, MPH

Assistant Professor, Public Health

Areas of Expertise

  • Community-Based Participatory Research and Organizing
  • Community Health Needs
  • Assessment (CHNA)
  • Healthy Aging and Age-friendly Communities
  • Community Health Education
  • Weight & Size-Inclusive Health Promotion
  • LGBTQIA+ Health

Biography

I am an Assistant Professor in the Community Action for Health Concentration for Touro’s Public Health Program and the Public Health Field Study Coordinator. I have been working in health promotion and community health education for over 15 years, with a focus on under-resourced, under-researched, and marginalized communities. In addition to higher education, I bring experience working in community clinics, public health philanthropy, digital health platforms, and local community partnerships.

Education

  • Master of Public Health, UC Berkeley (2012)
  • BA, Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2005)

Research

  • Community mobilization for rural suicide prevention: Process, learning and behavioral outcomes from Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide (PC CARES) in Northwest Alaska. 2019
  • Community-Based Participatory Needs Assessment for the Elder Population of Leverett, Massachusetts. 2023

Teaching Responsibilities

  • Public Health Field Experience