Skip to main content

What's Happening

ETR Blog

Check out what our people and partners are researching, thinking, reading, writing, watching and doing! (Note: The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ETR as an agency.)


Welcome Madhuri Jha, Vice President of Science, Equity, and Integration
December 9, 2022

Welcome Madhuri Jha, Vice President of Science, Equity, and Integration

By The ETR Team | December 9, 2022

ETR is thrilled to announce that Madhuri Jha, MPH, LCSW (she/hers) will join our team as the new Vice President of Science, Equity, and Integration! ETR is looking forward to Ms. Jha joining our mission-driven efforts to improve health and increase opportunities for youth, families, and communities

Read More
Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2022: Education and Tips
November 18, 2022

Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2022: Education and Tips

By Brittny Bol, MPH, CHES | November 18, 2022
Project Coordinator - TECC, ETR

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women in the United States. Lung Cancer Awareness Month is observed in November and is a perfect time to raise awareness, learn what signs to look for, and make changes to help lower your risk.

Read More
Native Voices, Native Stories: On Truth for Native American Heritage Month 2022
November 1, 2022

Native Voices, Native Stories: On Truth for Native American Heritage Month 2022

By Ravena Soto | November 1, 2022
Project Coordinator - Tribal Community Coordinating Center, ETR

Each November is recognized as Native American Heritage Month in the United States, marking a time to celebrate the rich cultures and diverse people descended from the original inhabitants of these lands. Native stories and contributions are plentiful, but they are often omitted or modified to fit a more acceptable narrative. Native people are inseparable from our nation's past, present, and future, and their exclusion is our collective loss. This month, and every month, provides an opportunity to learn and understand the impacts of misrepresentation and erasure.

Read More
The Need for Evidence-Based Sexual Health Education
October 26, 2022

The Need for Evidence-Based Sexual Health Education

By The ETR Team | October 26, 2022

Evidence-based pregnancy and STI prevention programs are programs that have been shown, in at least one program evaluation, to have a positive effect on reducing unplanned pregnancy or associated behavioral risk factors, such as delaying sexual activity, or increasing condom or contraceptive use. Providing young people with evidence-based pregnancy and STI prevention programs is one strategy to help address the disparities that persist in the United States. With schools and service organizations facing limited time and resources, these programs serve as an effective option for reducing risk behaviors.

Read More
5 Messages to Support Young People Through Puberty
August 9, 2022

5 Messages to Support Young People Through Puberty

By Lauren Ranalli, MPH | August 9, 2022
Director of Marketing and Communications, ETR

What do you remember from your own experience of going through puberty? For many of us, it was a time of confusion, excitement, embarrassment, anxiety, anticipation, and a mix of other emotions. Here are 5 messages we as trusted adults can use to help our students, patients, or program participants get through this challenging time.

Read More
Get PrEPped! Tips for Giving Your Sexual Health Toolbox a Glow Up
July 20, 2022

Get PrEPped! Tips for Giving Your Sexual Health Toolbox a Glow Up

By Kristin Kennedy, Li Lock, and Adrian Neil Jr. | July 20, 2022
HIV & Sexual Reproductive Health at ETR

In July of 2012, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved Truvada® for PrEP, pre-exposure prophylaxis. While this advancement was a huge breakthrough in HIV prevention, many health equity barriers still exist for clients/patients that prevent PrEP from becoming an accessible and engaging aspect of their sexual health. As public health and health education professionals, we still have a lot of work to do and we can’t do it alone. We’re excited to share this resource with you to help your teams.

Read More
How Does ETR Bridge Research and Practice? Examples From Equity & Inclusion in STEM
July 15, 2022

How Does ETR Bridge Research and Practice? Examples From Equity & Inclusion in STEM

By Jill Denner, PhD | July 15, 2022
Senior Research Scientist II, ETR

Addressing inequities requires wisdom from a range of people. Here at ETR, one of our values is that science is foundational which means all our work is informed by research—some of it is even generated or synthesized by our own team of scientists. Read more about how ETR is a bridging organization between research and practice.

Read More
First Glance at the New Title IX Regulations: Reflections and Recommendations from ETR
July 1, 2022

First Glance at the New Title IX Regulations: Reflections and Recommendations from ETR

By John Shields, PhD, MSW | July 1, 2022
Senior Research Scientist, ETR

The US Department of Education released new proposed Title IX regulations on June 23rd, 2022, the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in K12 and post-secondary schools. Read more about these new regulations and our recommendations from our K12T9 team.

Read More
We Have the Tools to Eliminate Hepatitis C: Advancing Harm Reduction Strategies through Data and Storytelling
May 27, 2022

We Have the Tools to Eliminate Hepatitis C: Advancing Harm Reduction Strategies through Data and Storytelling

By Rebecca Erenrich, MPH and Kristin Kennedy, MS, MPH, CPH | May 27, 2022

The United States is experiencing rising rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, fueled by the nation’s growing opioid crisis. This issue is particularly acute in Appalachia, where the increase in injection drug use led to a more than three-fold rise in new cases of hepatitis among young people between 2006 and 2012. As we close out Hepatitis Awareness Month, recognized each year in May, ETR remains committed to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and combatting the spread of HCV. As part of our fight for health equity, ETR offers science- and evidence-based resources on sexual health and safer drug use and works and maintains a portfolio of community-driven projects rooted in harm reduction, including HepConnect.

Read More
World No Tobacco Day 2022: Our Work is Not Finished
May 26, 2022

World No Tobacco Day: Our Work is Not Finished

By The ETR Team | May 26, 2022

This World No Tobacco Day, our team is reflecting on the commercial tobacco industry’s impact on the health and well-being of people across the nation. ETR envisions a world where all people have the information, skills, and opportunities to lead healthy lives. We are driven by our mission to improve health and increase opportunities for youth, families, and communities.

Read More
We're in This Fight: Access to Safe, Legal Abortion
May 5, 2022

We're in This Fight: Access to Safe, Legal Abortion

By The ETR Team | May 5, 2022 (Updated June 24, 2022)

Access to safe, legal abortion is at critical risk. In the next few months, 26 states could vote to ban abortion, putting in place insurmountable barriers to abortion services for over 36 million women and people who can become pregnant, which can have a profound lasting impact. We’re in this fight and are prepared to be an active, engaged partner in creating a culture that mirrors our mission, vision, and values.

Read More
May the Fourth: An Annual Reflection on Work and Life at ETR
May 4, 2022

May the Fourth: An Annual Reflection on Work and Life at ETR

By Vignetta Charles, PhD | May 4, 2022
Chief Executive Officer, ETR

It’s May the Fourth again when Star Wars fans like me celebrate the franchise. This feels like a terrible time to celebrate when there are ongoing active threats to health care and human rights. And still, if we don’t pause to think strategically, we may well repeat mistakes and challenges of the past. On this day, I will still take the opportunity to think about how this prolific franchise causes me to reflect on life and leadership. This reflection is not intended to dismiss my grief and anger, but because it will help fuel my fire to continue on in this fight for health equity. Fueling me today is the newest installment in the Star Wars franchise, The Book of Boba Fett, and how it has helped me think about our past and progress toward the future.

Read More
STEM & Sports: A Slam Dunk for Education Equity
April 26, 2022

STEM & Sports: A Slam Dunk for Education Equity

By Jill Denner & BA Laris | April 26, 2022
ETR and dfusion Inc

We all know that sports and other physical activities have health benefits. But did you know that they can also increase students’ interest and learning in science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM)?  ETR and our partners at dfusion Inc are excited to be at the intersection of these two different but complementary fields.

Read More
Developing Student Pathways to STEM Careers
March 23, 2022

Developing Student Pathways to STEM Careers

By Heather Bell | March 23, 2022
Research Assistant II, ETR

A recent ETR project aims to strengthen, connect, and expand existing efforts to increase the number of Latinx students who enter and stay on a path to computer information systems (CIS) at a community college and the workforce. Read more about this research-practice partnership—a collaboration between Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Digital NEST, Cabrillo College, and ETR.

Read More
Adverse Childhood Experiences: Engaging School-Based Health Centers Through ACEs Aware
March 9, 2022

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Engaging School-Based Health Centers Through ACEs Aware

By Stephanie Guinosso, PhD, MPH | March 9, 2022
Senior Research Associate, ETR

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress represent an urgent public health issue in the United States. In this new blog post, experts from ETR and the California School-Based Health Alliance describe emerging practices and barriers and facilitators to implementing trauma-informed care, ACE screening, and care coordination for the prevention and treatment of toxic stress in school-based health centers.

Read More
The Roots of Black Family Wellness
February 24, 2022

The Roots of Black Family Wellness

By ETR and Roots Community Health Center | February 24, 2022

In this conversation, ETR’s Black Family Wellness team is joined by the Roots Community Health Center (RCHC) team to discuss the need for utilizing a holistic community-led approach to address systemic racism in health care and support the holistic health of Black women who are pregnant.

Read More
We Say Gay: Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth and Inclusive Schools
February 18, 2022

We Say Gay: Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth and Inclusive Schools

By The ETR Team | February 21, 2022

As an organization committed to advancing health equity, advocating on behalf of communities that experience marginalization and disproportionate inequities is a critical part of our work. We are taking this moment to reiterate this commitment in light of the recent “Don’t Say Gay” House Bill in the state of Florida and similar movements around the country which further harm LGBTQ+ youth and silence the trusted adults that provide them with safety, education, and resources.

Read More
Black History Month at ETR: A Note from Our Chief People & Culture Officer
February 9, 2022

Black History Month at ETR: A Note from Our Chief People & Culture Officer

By Michael Everett, MHS, EdD | February 9, 2022
Chief People and Culture Officer, ETR

Happy Black History Month (BHM) from ETR! Formally, this annual celebration started as Black History Week and was pioneered by Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950). A Black Virginian sharecropper turned international educator, Woodson would not have his dream fully embraced until 25 years after his death. By 1975, every US president starting with Gerald Ford would officially recognize Black History as an opportunity to celebrate a neglected part of American History. In addition, the celebration highlights the essential role of Black Americans in building the United States from its colonial beginning.

Read More
Native American Heritage Month and ETR's Land Acknowledgment
November 23, 2021

Native American Heritage Month and ETR's Land Acknowledgment

By Nasbah Ben | November 23, 2021
Director of Tribal Programs, ETR

As a non-profit organization that advances health equity, we can not address health equity among Native American Tribes in California and beyond without first acknowledging that they are the original inhabitants of the land where our offices are located.

Read More
New Study Examines COVID-19 Impact on Youth Romantic and Sexual Relationships
November 19, 2021

New Study Examines COVID-19 Impact on Youth Romantic and Sexual Relationships

By Sarah Han, MPH | November 19, 2021
Youth Centered Health Designer, ETR

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of teens and young adults in countless ways. However, as public health researchers, practitioners, and advocates, we still don’t know much about how the pandemic has affected the romantic and sexual relationships of teens and young adults. Last month, a study examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s relationships was published in BMC Public Health, shining a light on this important, yet understudied, issue.

Read More

Sign up for the ETR Health Newsletter.

Social Media :

  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram