Our team has been invited to present some of our work at the American Public Health Association (APHA) 2025 Annual Meeting & Expo, taking place this November in Washington, D.C.
Our two accepted presentations represent different ends of the spectrum. Yet, they both speak to one powerful idea: that public health (specifically sleep health) and civic health are connected.
Bridging Civic and Public Health: Election Lab as a Tool for Civic Health and Social Well-Being
In this presentation, we explore how Election Lab, our interactive strategy game, helps players experience democracy from the inside out.
But what does this have to do with public health?
At its core, public health is about community. It is about mutual trust, participation, and connectedness. These are the very same ingredients that sustain a healthy democracy. When citizens feel engaged, informed, and empowered, we build the social infrastructure that protects both our bodies (and our health) and our institutions.
Civic health is public health. A well-informed, engaged electorate fosters a stronger, more resilient society.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Election Lab is an innovative, research-backed set of games that transform how we understand elections. These games turn players into campaign strategists who navigate the complexities of the U.S. electoral system using real data. That in turn increases their data literacy.
Election Lab transforms the abstract concept of “civic engagement” into a “living system” that players must understand, navigate, and influence.
By simulating real Electoral College strategies, whether for the upcoming 2028 or 1860 election, participants learn how geography, strategy, and people intersect to shape our shared future. Through Election Lab, we invite players to experience the interplay between participation and human connectedness. We elevate their critical thinking skills. And we show them that civic engagement is not separate from public health, but an essential part of it.
Solving the Sleep Mystery: A Game-Based Approach to Sleep Health, Digital Well-Being, and STEM Career Exploration
Our second presentation highlights End of Imperial, a digital mystery game where players step into the role of medical detectives investigating a fatal car crash. As they follow and detect clues, they learn about health and science careers, but also about sleep and healthy habits.
End of Imperial helps bring abstract biomedical and science concepts to life through storytelling, problem-solving, and critical thinking. And in doing so, it opens doors to future health and STEM careers.
Sleep health is not just a science topic. It is a public health imperative. By helping students understand how technology, rest, and performance interact, we nurture digital well-being alongside scientific curiosity.
Handwashing Twist — and a Lesson in Persistence
In a humorous twist of fate, our work with the handwashing trainer was waitlisted and ultimately not invited to present this year.
Given how central hand hygiene has been for public health for over a century, we had to smile at the irony. But the truth is, this small detail underscores something important about science and innovation:
Progress rarely follows a straight line.
So, yes. We will keep scrubbing and submitting, because we believe that foundational habits like handwashing are just as vital to the health of communities as civic trust and digital balance.
The Broader Connection: Public Health, Civic Life, and Human Connection
We are excited to present these two projects, Election Lab and End of Imperial at this year’s APHA convention. We are acutely aware that the skills that sustain democracy and the habits that sustain our health are deeply intertwined. Both of these require curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking. Both depend on our ability to understand systems. And along the way, see ourselves as part of them.
Looking Ahead
We are honored to share this work with colleagues at APHA 2025 and grateful to the reviewers who saw the relevance, rigor, and impact of these projects.
As we continue to build bridges between education, health, and civic life, our mission remains clear:
To help learners not only understand the world, but care enough to improve it.
Indelible Learning
Engagement with Evidence and Empathy.
#APHA2025 #PublicHealth #CivicHealth #STEMEducation #WellBeing #GameBasedLearning #ElectionLab #EndOfImperial #EducationInnovation #HealthLiteracy #Democracy #Sleep #Health #SleepHealth
EXTRA INFO:
APHA Program: School Health and Wellness
Abstract: 579976 Solving the Sleep Mystery: A Game-Based Approach to Sleep Health, Digital Well-Being, and STEM Career Exploration
Format: Oral
Session: Innovations in school-based practice and research 2
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Abstract ID: 579768
Abstract title: Bridging Civic and Public Health: Election Lab as a Tool for Civic Health and Social Well-Being
Program area: PHEHP Student Awards Contest
@APHAAnnualMtg @PublicHealth (X) @AmericanPublicHealthAssociation (Facebook)
@AmericanPublicHealth (Instagram)
Dr. Jasminka Vukanovic-Criley MD, FACP, FHM is a multiple award-winning physician, internist, hospitalist, healthcare & education innovator & Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA. She is a career mentor & advisor to numerous undergraduate, graduate & postgraduate students & faculty. As a researcher, Dr. Criley received awards from the National Institutes of Health & the U.S. Department of Education Her work focuses on creating research-driven #edtech games & digital media to improve health, civics, science education & promote healthy habits. Dr Criley is also a sought-after speaker & a founding Board member of Physician’s Weekly. She can be reached on X at @criley_md and at www.linkedin.com/in/jasminka-criley-md