FACTS Special Issue on Migration and Health

Migration is a global phenomenon involving hundreds of millions of people, with major social and economic impacts on migrants in their countries of origin and destination and on their communities. In the U.S., California is by far the most affected state by these population movements. The University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI), Center of Expertise on Migration and Health (COEMH) is devoted to systematically studying the health consequences of global population movements and developing more effective strategies to address them. A key objective of the Center is to enhance educational opportunities related to migration and health. To do this, the Center implements graduate education, conducts research on immigrant and refugee communities, establishes distance education opportunities, and develops transnational collaborations. These activities provide a rich, real-world environment for training the next generation of leaders who will respond to emerging health issues related to migration. The Center’s annual Research Training Workshop is one such activity, resulting in rich discussions, cross-disciplinary interactions, and invaluable learning opportunities. This special issue on migration and health stems from the Research Training Workshop held on June 21-23, 2011, which was organized by COEMH. The workshop brought nineteen graduate students and postdoctoral fellows together in a multi-disciplinary setting to present their research and receive constructive feedback from University of California faculty members. Each paper presented in this special issue represents a unique issue related to migration and health