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a profile photograph of Heather Bush
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Faculty
Location
Research Facility #1, Room 112 & Multi-Disciplinary Science Building (MDS), Room 401C
Phone
859-218-2080
Email
heather.bush@uky.edu

Dr. Heather M. Bush is the Acting Dean, and former Chair of the Department of Biostatistics. 

Dr. Bush also serves as the Kate Spade & Company Endowed Professor in the Center for Research on Violence Against Women and as co-director of the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Facility at the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science.  

Dr. Bush is a prior recipient of the Dean’s Outstanding Teaching Performance Award, the Golden Apple Award for Outstanding Teaching, and the Provost’s Outstanding Teaching Award. Dr. Bush was also named University Research Professor for 2018-19.  

She focuses her scholarly work on vulnerable populations, examining issues of women’s health, the impacts of sexual violence on health, and the prevention of sexual violence. As an investigator, she works to promote the engagement of populations typically underrepresented in research. 

She also prioritizes collaboration, describing herself as “a team scientist with an overall goal of transforming approaches to scientific inquiry by engaging as an active partner in research teams dedicated to making a difference in the health of populations.” 

Dr. Bush is currently partnering with investigators at KIPRC to (1) translate bystander-based training to promote harm reduction in college populations and (2) develop a novel surveillance system for maternal mortality and morbidity that incorporates injury related to sexual violence, substance use, and mental health. Before her faculty appointment, she was a senior biostatistician in industry.

Dr. Bush received her BS in Mathematics from Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and PhD in Philosophy, Statistics and MS in Statistics from the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Bush on Scholars@UK

External Link

Education

  • PhD, Statistics
    • University of Kentucky
  • MS, Statistics
    • University of Kentucky
  • BS, Mathematics
    • Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Research Interests

  • Violence prevention
  • Women’s health
  • Sexual violence
  • Bystander intervention

In the News

Heather Bush named permanent dean of UK College of Public Health

Heather Bush, Ph.D., has been named permanent dean of the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health. Bush has served as the acting dean of the College of Public Health since June 15, 2022.

Groundbreaking ceremony held for UK Health Education Building

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Friday for the largest academic building in the history of the University of Kentucky. At over 500,000 square feet, the new Health Education Building will house programs in the colleges of Medicine, Public Health, Health Sciences and Nursing as well as the Center for Interprofessional and Community Health Education.

College of Public Health Acting Dean Reappointment