Claire Brindis DrPH ’82 is a professor at the UCSF School of Medicine, specializing in research on child, adolescent and women’s health policy, and on the implementation of health care reform and immigration health. Her writings and publications have been extensively utilized in the planning and implementation of various state and federal initiatives on teenage pregnancy prevention and access to reproductive health services.

“Berkeley moment”

Early in my doctoral program (1978), I participated in a seminar on adolescent health that totally expanded my understanding and importance of adolescent health, as well as courses related to program evaluation. Now, for nearly 4 decades, I have devoted my research, program evaluation, and policy advocacy toward the needs of adolescents and young adults, as well as applied evaluation methodologies to a wide variety of public health topics, from asthma to women’s reproductive health. I have been fortunate to continue my relationship with UC Berkeley through continuing to mentor the next generation of public health stars.

Secrets for success

The importance of community, understanding our ‘consumers of information,’ and being able to present data in a pristine and compelling manner, to generate mobilization for the social good among policymakers and stakeholders is key.

A change to one U.S. policy that would transform public health

Policies directed at income inequalities, as well as a pathway to citizenship for immigrant populations.