The Public Science Collaborative (PSC) created the 2025 Iowa Legislative Report to guide individuals and organizations working in the substance use and behavioral health space as they navigate and monitor Iowa’s legislature. This report is the first in an annual policy series that summarizes legislation from the prior session and previews the upcoming session.
The Public Science Collaborative (PSC) partnered with Council Bluffs, Sioux City, and Waterloo to develop interactive dashboards of the alcohol risk environment in each community. The dashboards were developed as part of PSC’s participatory substance use surveillance monitoring program and are designed to serve as a resource to support data-informed decision-making aimed at reducing underage …
Safer Futures: Preventing Underage Drinking in Iowa Read More »
This quick read highlights community-based opioid monitoring systems the Public Science Collaborative developed as part of their participatory substance use surveillance monitoring program. These systems focus on the reduction of opioid-related harms and were launched in Lee, Jones, Jackson, and Dubuque counties.
Mosquito-borne diseases such as Dengue Fever, Zika, and Malaria remain among Uganda’s most urgent public health challenges, undermining individual well-being, community resilience, and national development. This report demonstrates how regenerative landscape design and low-cost environmental interventions can simultaneously reduce disease risk and strengthen agricultural productivity. Grounded in a One Health framework, this report emphasizes integrated …
Reducing Disease Burden by Design: A One Health Approach Read More »
In July 2025, the Public Science Collaborative research team conducted two weeks of fieldwork in the Busoga region of Eastern Uganda to investigate how cocoa farming practices intersect with environmental and health risks related to mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria. This work builds on a growing body of research that links landscape features and agricultural …
Sustainable Agriculture in the Context of High Burden of Disease: A One Health Approach Read More »
As part of the Public Science Collaborative’s Substance Use Recovery work, the Recovery Ready Community Index (RRCI) Dashboard measures recovery resources across Iowa communities. This interactive tool helps identify where support for substance use recovery is strongest and guides efforts to build recovery-friendly environments.
The Public Science Collaborative conducted background research, prototyping, user listening sessions, and system design to prepare Iowa’s Department of Health and Human Services for building the statewide Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) Platform. The dashboards on the state’s platform display information on substance use disorder treatment admissions, substance involved deaths, and hospitalizations and emergency department …
As part of the Public Science Collaborative’s substance use work, PSC developed data resources to help public health leaders target prevention and treatment resources where they’re needed most. This dashboard uses predictive modeling and Census data to map substance use vulnerability across Iowa with the goal of reducing or preventing substance use disorders in these …
Substance Use Risk Index to Support Vulnerable Populations in Iowa Read More »
As part of the Public Science Collaborative’s Substance Use Recovery work, this executive summary shows that Methamphetamine use in Iowa is rising faster than national trends, spreading across diverse populations, increasing overdose risks, and highlighting urgent needs for expanded treatment and support services.
As part of Public Science Collaborative’s substance use work, this report analyzes substance use and its correlates across Iowa’s 99 counties using mixed methods and comprehensive data sources. It supports public health policy by identifying key risk factors, social conditions, and health indicators linked to substance use.
