The Division of Health Equity and Society, formerly known as Division of the Center for Vulnerable Populations, was formed in 2020 to focus on the structural determinants of health. The Division is made up of 4 faculty, 3 Non-Faculty Academic Specialists, 3 Postdoctoral Scholars, and 52 staff. It is the administrative and programmatic home of the Action Research Center for Health Equity (formerly the Center for Vulnerable Populations), Amend, and the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative.

New Division Name

The Division formerly known as Division of the Center for Vulnerable Populations is now the Division of Health Equity and Society (DHES).  We were motivated to choose a new name to turn away from the suggestion (from the word vulnerable) that inequities result from problems in the individual. In choosing a new name, we wanted to capture our division’s focus on programmatic and structural changes to promote health equity.  The DHES provides an administrative home to 3 major programs: the Action Research Center for Health Equity (formerly the Center for Vulnerable Populations), Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, and Amend, as well as Dr. Morgan Philibin’s robust research program focusing on how social policies and clinical practice shape inclusion and health equity.