At the University of Michigan School of Public Health, more than 200 professors and research scientists teach tomorrow’s public health leaders and perform cutting-edge research that helps advance the field of public health. Many faculty members are leading experts in their fields who consult with governments, communities, and nongovernmental organizations.

Meet Our Faculty


Faculty who have expertise in Health Equity

Belinda Needham Belinda L. Needham, PhD, MA
  • Chair, Epidemiology
  • Associate Professor, Epidemiology

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Health Equity, Racism

Sara Adar Sara Dubowsky Adar, ScD, MHS
  • Associate Professor, Epidemiology
  • Associate Chair, Epidemiology

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Chronic Disease, Environmental Health, Global Public Health, Health Equity

Briana Mezuk Briana Mezuk, PhD
  • Associate Chair and Associate Professor, Epidemiology
  • Director, Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health 

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Health Equity, Mental Health, Substance Use

Minal Patel Minal R Patel, PhD, MPH
  • Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education
  • Associate Chair, Health Behavior and Health Education

Areas of Expertise
Cancer, Chronic Disease, Health Care, Health Communication, Health Equity

Kate Bauer Kate W. Bauer, PhD, MS
  • Associate Professor, Nutritional Sciences

Areas of Expertise
Child Health, Health Equity, Nutrition

Matthew Boulton Matthew L. Boulton, MD, MPH
  • Senior Associate Dean for Global Public Health
  • Pearl L. Kendrick Collegiate Professor of Global Public Health
  • Professor of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine

Areas of Expertise
Child Health, Global Public Health, Health Equity, Infectious Disease, Public Health Practice

James Buszkiewicz James H Buszkiewicz, PhD, MPH
  • Research Investigator, Epidemiology

Areas of Expertise
Chronic Disease, COVID-19, Health Equity, Health Policy, Mental Health, Nutrition

Linda Chatters Linda M. Chatters, PhD
  • Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education
  • Paula Allen-Meares Collegiate Professor of Social Work

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Health Equity, Racism

Melissa Creary Melissa Creary, PhD, MPH
  • Assistant Professor, Health Management and Policy
  • Assistant Professor of Global Public Health

Areas of Expertise
Chronic Disease, Global Public Health, Health Equity, Health Policy, Racism

Nancy Fleischer Nancy L Fleischer, PhD, MPH
  • Associate Professor, Epidemiology

Areas of Expertise
Chronic Disease, COVID-19, Health Equity, LGBT Health, Racism, Substance Use

Paul Fleming Paul J Fleming, PhD, MPH
  • Assistant Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education

Areas of Expertise
Health Equity, Health Policy, Public Health Practice, Racism

Kristi Gamarel Kristi E Gamarel, PhD, EdM
  • Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education

Areas of Expertise
Firearm Injury Prevention, Health Equity, Infectious Disease, LGBT Health, Mental Health, Racism, Substance Use

Arline Geronimus Arline T Geronimus, ScD
  • Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education

Areas of Expertise
Chronic Disease, Health Equity, Maternal Health, Racism, Reproductive Health, Urban Health

Kyle Grazier Kyle Lynn Grazier, DrPH, MPH, MS
  • Richard Carl Jelinek Professor of Health Services Management and Policy
  • Professor, Health Management and Policy
  • Professor, Psychiatry

Areas of Expertise
Health Care, Health Equity, Health Policy, Mental Health

Alexis Handal Alexis J. Handal, PhD, MPH
  • Associate Professor, Epidemiology
  • Professor, Global Public Health

Areas of Expertise
Child Health, Environmental Health, Global Public Health, Health Equity, Maternal Health, Nutrition, Occupational Health, Racism, Reproductive Health, Women’s Health

Kevin He Kevin He, PhD
  • Research Associate Professor, Biostatistics

Areas of Expertise
Biostatistics, Cancer, Chronic Disease, COVID-19, Genetics, Global Public Health, Health Care, Health Equity, Precision Health

Jana Hirschtick Jana Hirschtick, PhD, MPH
  • Assistant Research Scientist, Epidemiology

Areas of Expertise
COVID-19, Health Equity, Public Health Practice, Racism, Urban Health

Mary Janevic Mary Janevic, PhD, MPH
  • Research Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Chronic Disease, Health Equity

Elizabeth King Elizabeth J. King, PhD, MPH
  • Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education
  • Faculty Associate, Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies

Areas of Expertise
COVID-19, Global Public Health, Health Equity, Health Policy, Reproductive Health, Substance Use, Women’s Health

Lindsay Kobayashi Lindsay C Kobayashi, PhD, MSc
  • John G. Searle Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
  • Faculty Affiliate, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research
  • Assistant Professor of Global Public Health

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Cancer, Chronic Disease, Global Public Health, Health Equity

Aurora Le Aurora B. Le, PhD, MPH, CSP, CPH
  • John G. Searle Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences

Areas of Expertise
COVID-19, Health Equity, Infectious Disease, Occupational Health, Public Health Practice, Racism

Yi Li Yi Li, PhD
  • M. Anthony Schork Collegiate Professor of Biostatistics
  • Professor, Global Public Health

Areas of Expertise
Biostatistics, Cancer, Chronic Disease, COVID-19, Firearm Injury Prevention, Genetics, Global Public Health, Health Care, Health Equity, Health Policy, Infectious Disease, Substance Use

Lynda Lisabeth Lynda Lisabeth, PhD, MPH
  • Professor, Epidemiology
  • Research Professor, Neurology

Areas of Expertise
Chronic Disease, Health Equity, Women’s Health

William Lopez William D Lopez, PhD, MPH
  • Clinical Assistant Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education
  • Senior Advisor, Poverty Solutions
  • Faculty Associate, Latina/o Studies Program

Areas of Expertise
Health Communication, Health Equity, Racism

Roshanak Mehdipanah Roshanak Mehdipanah, PhD, MS
  • Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Environmental Health, Health Equity, Racism, Urban Health

Enrique Neblett Enrique Neblett, PhD
  • Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education
  • Faculty Co-Lead, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Associate Director, Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center

Areas of Expertise
Health Equity, Mental Health, Racism

Thuy Nguyen Thuy Dieu Nguyen, PhD, MPA
  • Research Assistant Professor, Health Management and Policy

Areas of Expertise
COVID-19, Health Equity, Health Policy, Substance Use

Michael Rubyan Michael A. Rubyan, PhD, MPH
  • Clinical Assistant Professor, Health Management and Policy

Areas of Expertise
Chronic Disease, Health Communication, Health Equity, Health Informatics, Health Policy, Urban Health

Amy Schulz Amy J. Schulz, PhD, MPH, MSW
  • University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor
  • Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education

Areas of Expertise
Environmental Health, Health Equity, Racism

Jon Zelner Jon Zelner, PhD
  • Associate Professor, Epidemiology

Areas of Expertise
Biostatistics, COVID-19, Health Equity, Infectious Disease

John Ayanian John Z. Ayanian, MD, MPP
  • Alice Hamilton Distinguished University Professor of Medicine and Healthcare Policy

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Cancer, Chronic Disease, Health Care, Health Equity, Health Policy

Tom Buchmueller Tom Buchmueller, PhD
  • Waldo O. Hildebrand Professor of Risk Management and Insurance
  • Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy

Areas of Expertise
Child Health, Health Care, Health Equity, Health Policy, LGBT Health, Mental Health, Substance Use

Sarah Burgard Sarah A. Burgard, PhD, MS
  • Professor, Epidemiology
  • Associate Professor, Sociology
  • Research Associate Professor, Population Studies Center

Areas of Expertise
Health Equity

Philippa Clarke Philippa Janet Clarke, PhD, MSc
  • Professor, Epidemiology
  • Research Professor, Institute for Social Research

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Health Equity, Urban Health

Gary Freed Gary L. Freed, MD, MPH
  • Percy and Mary Murphy Professor of PediatricsProfessor, Health Management and Policy
  • Director of Faculty Programs, Office of Health Equity and Inclusion
  • Associate Chair for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Government Relations

Areas of Expertise
Child Health, Global Public Health, Health Care, Health Equity, Health Policy, Public Health Practice

Susan Goold Susan Dorr Goold, MD, MHSA, MA
  • Professor, Internal Medicine
  • Professor, Health Management and Policy

Areas of Expertise
Health Equity, Health Policy

Rebecca Hasson Rebecca E Hasson, PhD
  • Associate Professor, Kinesiology
  • Assistant Professor, Nutritional Sciences

Areas of Expertise
Child Health, Health Equity

Michele Heisler Michele Heisler, MD, MPA
  • Professor, Internal Medicine
  • Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education
  • Research Scientist, Center for Clinical Management Research
  • Staff Physician

Areas of Expertise
Chronic Disease, Global Public Health, Health Care, Health Equity, Urban Health

Joseph Kolars Joseph C. Kolars, MD, MACP
  • Director, University of Michigan Center for Global Health Equity
  • Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Medicine
  • Josiah Macy, Jr., Professor of Health Professions Education

Areas of Expertise
Health Care, Health Equity

Gretchen Piatt Gretchen A Piatt, PhD, MPH
  • Associate Professor, Learning Health Sciences
  • Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education
  • Co-Director, Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research

Areas of Expertise
Chronic Disease, Health Care, Health Equity

Sarah Stoddard Sarah A Stoddard, PhD, RN, CNP, FSAHM, FAAN
  • Associate Professor, Nursing
  • Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education
  • Co-Director, Training and Education Core, University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center

Areas of Expertise
Child Health, Firearm Injury Prevention, Health Equity, Mental Health, Substance Use, Urban Health

Lauren Wallner Lauren Wallner, PhD, MPH
  • Associate Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Epidemiology
  • Co-lead, Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program, Rogel Cancer Center

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Cancer, Health Care, Health Communication, Health Equity

Susan Aaronson Susan M Aaronson, MA, RD
  • Lecturer IV, Nutritional Sciences
  • Director, Dietetics Program

Areas of Expertise
Health Equity, Nutrition, Precision Health

Vivienne Hazzard Vivienne M Hazzard, PhD, MPH, RD
  • Lecturer, Nutritional Sciences

Areas of Expertise
Health Equity, LGBT Health, Mental Health, Nutrition

Natalie Sampson Natalie R. Sampson, PhD, MPH
  • Associate Professor, College of Education, Health and Human Services, University of Michigan Dearborn
  • Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education

Areas of Expertise
Environmental Health, Health Communication, Health Equity, Health Policy, Public Health Practice

Richard Lichtenstein Richard L. Lichtenstein, PhD, MPH
  • Associate Professor Emeritus, Health Management and Policy

Areas of Expertise
Health Care, Health Equity, Health Policy, Urban Health

Hal Morgenstern Hal Morgenstern, BArch, MRP, PhD
  • Professor Emeritus, Epidemiology
  • Professor Emeritus, Environmental Health Sciences
  • Professor Emeritus, Urology, Medical School

Areas of Expertise
Cancer, Chronic Disease, Environmental Health, Health Equity, Racism

Victoria Convertino Victoria L. Convertino, JD
  • Lecturer, Public Health Law

Areas of Expertise
Chronic Disease, COVID-19, Environmental Health, Health Equity, Health Policy, Infectious Disease, Maternal Health, Public Health Practice, Reproductive Health, Substance Use, Women’s Health

Terrisca Des Jardins Terrisca Des Jardins, MHSA
  • Executive Director, Center for Health and Research Transformation
  • Lecturer, Health Management and Policy

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Chronic Disease, Health Care, Health Equity, Health Informatics, Health Policy, Public Health Practice

Khaldun Joneigh S. Khaldun, MD, MPH, FACEP, FAAEM
  • Adjunct Professor, Health Management and Policy
  • Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer, CVS Health
  • Appointee, Biden-Harris Administration COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force

Areas of Expertise
Aging, Child Health, COVID-19, Health Equity, Health Policy

Christine Stead Christine Stead, MHSA
  • CEO, Extracorporeal Life Support Organization
  • Adjunct Faculty, Health Management and Policy

Areas of Expertise
COVID-19, Global Public Health, Health Care, Health Equity, Health Policy, Nutrition, Public Health Practice, Women’s Health