Public Health Seminar Series
The CPH Seminar series engages the University and Greater Philadelphia community in discussion of critical public health topics with local and national impacts. CPH seminar events are open to the community and we welcome anyone to join the conversation.
About our Series
Our seminar series brings together researchers, practitioners, students, and community partners to explore emerging challenges and innovations in public health.
Our sessions highlight policy-relevant public health insights and action-oriented approaches that bridge research and real-world practice. Each seminar is designed to spark conversation, connect ideas across disciplines, and equip participants with tools to inform public health decisions and drive meaningful change. We invite you to join us as we learn, collaborate, and work toward healthier communities.
Have an idea for a seminar? Reach out to us at PennCPH@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Featured Symposium
Healthy Housing Symposium | October 17th, 2025
The Healthy Housing Symposium hosted by Penn CPH convened community leaders, policymakers, researchers, and advocates to examine how housing quality, stability, and affordability shape health outcomes across Philadelphia.
The Symposium aimed to advance the shared truth that housing is health care and to explore actionable strategies that improve housing and health outcomes. The event launched a Healthy Housing Working Group that will translate insights into a policy brief – reflecting the Center’s growing seminar series focus on driving policy.
Healthy Housing Symposium Speakers
Keynote: Sister Mary Scullion – Co-Founder, Project Home
Guest Speaker: Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke, Minority Whip, Philadelphia City Council
Event Moderator: Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, MD, MPH, Penn Center for Public Health
Opening Remarks: Dr. Richard Wender, MD, Penn Center for Public Health
Healthy Housing Symposium Panelists
Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Vincent Reina, PhD, MBA, MSc – University of Pennsylvania
Ryan Ambrose, MPA – Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation
Devin Race, JD – Community Legal Services
Symposium Recap
The symposium featured a keynote from Sister Mary Scullion, Co-Founder of Project HOME, who called for compassion, urgency, and a reimagined public commitment to safe housing for all. Guest speaker Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke offered powerful reflections on moral leadership and accountability in governance, outlining his continued work on the Safe Healthy Homes legislative package – a set of bills aimed at strengthening tenant protections, ensuring proactive inspections, and providing the resources needed to make safe housing a public priority.
A cross-sector panel moderated by CPH Director of Public Health Integration, Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, brought together leaders from CHOP, the University of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, and Community Legal Services to explore solutions ranging from asthma prevention and proactive rental inspections to tenant protections and community engagement. Attendees participated in breakout sessions to identify strategies for advancing housing justice and improving health outcomes city-wide.
The momentum will continue through the newly launched Healthy Housing Working Group, which will translate symposium insights into a policy brief of best practices and recommendations to strengthen housing and health equity across Philadelphia.
We believe safe, decent, and affordable housing is possible for our City and Nation to achieve. Housing is health care. And providing safe housing not only saves lives – it saves money.
Sister Mary Scullion, Keynote Speaker
Co-Founder, Project HOME
