Health Promotion Sciences

Purnima Madhivanan, MBBS, MPH, PhD, is an Associate Professor with Tenure in the Department of Health Promotion Sciences at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. Dr. Madhivanan holds a joint appointment in the College of Medicine, and is a member of the UA Cancer Center. She is the Director of the Global Health Training Program at University of Arizona and serves as a co-PI for the GHES consortium in collaboration with Stanford, Yale and University of California, Berkeley. She is also the Founding Director of Public Health Research Institute of India and the Medical Director of Prerana Women's Health initiative in India. For the last 20 years, her research has focussed on disadvantaged populations, elucidating the dynamics of poverty, gender and the social & environmental determinants of health, in particular the impact on women and children living in rural communities. Her current research focusses on the intersection of infectious diseases and cancer. Dr. Madhivanan serves as an advisor to a number of state departments of Public Health, non-profit as well as governmental research organizations. In 2007, she received the prestigious International Leadership Award from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation for her work on HIV prevention. Dr. Madhivanan’s global health research credentials and clinical service has brought unique opportunities for collaborations; most recently benefiting students and faculty interested in learning about Global Health and service in a developing world setting.

Dr. Cynthia Thomson, PhD, RD, is a Professor and Director of the Canyon Ranch Center for Prevention and Health Promotion in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. Dr. Thomson holds joint appointments in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Medicine. Her research emphasis includes dietary intervention in breast and ovarian cancer survivors, as well as behavioral interventions for weight control and metabolic regulation. Dr. Thomson received her Ph.D. from the Interdisciplinary Program in Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona and completed NCI-sponsored post-doctoral training at the University of Arizona Cancer Center with a focus on diet and cancer prevention.