Health Equity

The action-oriented mission of the Health Equity Hub within the Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) is to combat inequities in health experienced by specific populations by conducting research to understand how, where, why and for whom they arise and then design and test interventions to address those factors.

Across the nation and globally, gaps in health are large, persistent and increasing. Health equity means everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve their optimal health.”

Lisa Hirschhorn, MD, MPH
Brian Mustanski, PhD
Hub co-directors

Health Equity Hub Leadership

Our work utilizes social and behavioral science methods together with biomedical science and implementation science to study the multilevel systems and contextual factors that influence the health of individuals and groups.

MSS has multiple large and thriving research programs focused on health equity, with particular strengths in sexual and gender minorities. MSS faculty were instrumental in the founding of the Northwestern-wide Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing. Many of our faculty are focused on HIV/AIDS and comorbid conditions and are engaged with the Third Coast Center for AIDS Research. Our hub faculty have a growing focus on other underserved populations in Chicago and globally as well as health issues such as cancer. Studies within the hub span the translational spectrum from epidemiological studies to mechanistic studies to intervention development and testing to implementation science to inform scale and dissemination. Our faculty are collaborative and seek to integrate the concept of health equity into a wide range of research approaches and foci.

Our Scientists

Primary Faculty

Lauren Beach, PhD
Michelle Birkett, PhD
Elizabeth Hahn, MS
Casey Xavier Hall, PhD
Carol Haywood, PhD, OTR/L
Lisa Hirschhorn, MD, MPH
Patrick Janulis, PhD
Kathryn Macapagal, PhD
Brian Mustanski, PhD
Michael Newcomb, PhD
Gregory Phillips II, PhD
Elissa Sarno, PhD
Nicole Woitowich, PhD
Christine Wood, Phd
Betina Yanez, PhD

Secondary Faculty

Elizabeth Addington, PhD
Andrew Berry, PhD
David Cella, PhD
Ashley Dyer, DACM MPH
Sofia Garcia, PhD
Andrea Graham, PhD
James Griffith, PhD
Emily Ho, PhD
Jessica Horowitz, PhD
Michael Anthony Kallen, PhD, MPH
Emily Lattie, PhD
Marquita Lewis-Thames, PhD
Maxwell Mansolf, PhD
Daniel Mroczek, PhD
Timothy Patrick Pearman, PhD
Devin Peipert, PhD
Yusuke Shono, PhD
Shiv Darius Tandon, PhD
David Victorson, PhD
Kimberly Webster, MA

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