The Population Science Program includes investigators with focus on population and health services research, nicotine addiction, cancer prevention, biomarkers and disease epidemiology, comparative effectiveness research and outcomes research. Program meetings are held every two weeks throughout the year. A number of investigators have expertise in computational biology, biostatistics methods, and behavioral medicine interventions. Investigators at the School of Public Health interact with colleagues at the Warren Alpert Medical School and the Brown University-affiliated hospitals. The Program has a major focus on cancers and problems that affect the population of Rhode Island.

The Program has expertise in bladder cancer whose rates in 2019 are highest in the nation, lung cancer and tobacco addiction and cessation, opioid addiction, breast cancer, skin cancer, geriatric oncology, and issues with access to care. Efforts to translate novel concepts are supported by the Translational Research Disease Groups (TRDGs), which are additional cancer disease-based group meetings that occur in parallel to the Population Science Program meetings. Each of the 11 disease-based TRDGs meets every 2-3 months, with emerging projects being presented at the Population Science Program meetings.