September 26, 2025
Emily Ozer, Berkeley Center for Social Medicine faculty affiliate, is co-leading a collaboration between UC Berkeley researchers and San Francisco students to investigate the causes of chronic absenteeism. In this youth-led research model, students are involved in all stages, from shaping research questions to interpreting data. The team is exploring why some students miss significantly more school than others. In this Berkeley News article, Ozer explains, “Since it’s such a major problem affecting young people and schools, with learning outcomes and budgets tied to student attendance, it is vital to partner with students in solving the problem.”