PhD Faculty Students in the PhD in Public Health Sciences program have the opportunity to work with faculty participating in locally, nationally, and globally recognized research and studies on both the Danforth and Medical School campuses. Their areas of interest range from data analysis to community outreach to AI modeling for positive health outcomes. Learn more about our faculty community and how you can be a part of building a better present and future. Browse Our PhD Faculty Name Areas of Interest Peg Allen Ellis Ballard Abigail Barker Ana A Baumann Derek Brown Ross Brownson Anne Mobley Butler Charlene Caburnay Yin Cao Su-Hsin Chang Graham A. Colditz Todd Combs Victor G Dávila-Román Kia L. Davis Elizabeth Dodson Bettina F. Drake Alexis Duncan Bradley A. Evanoff Amy Eyler Patrick Fowler Elvin Geng Jeremy Goldbach Debra Haire-Joshu Ross Hammond Jenine Harris Angela Hobson Ashley Housten Tyriesa L. Howard Mark Huffman Jean Hunleth Lora Iannotti Juliet Iwelunmor Aimee S. James Shu (Joy) Jiang Kim Johnson Maura Kepper Matthew Kreuter Jessica Levy Erin Linnenbringer Ying Liu Douglas Luke Chongliang (Jason) Luo Ragini Maddipati Karen Joynt Maddox Sara M. Malone Stephanie Mazzucca-Ragan Timothy McBride Mary McKay Virginia Mckay (Ginger) Caitlin McMurtry Sarah Moreland-Russell Proscovia Nabunya Diana Parra Perez Mary C. Politi Byron Powell Beth Prusaczyk Jason Purnell Rodrigo Reis Elizabeth Salerno Vetta Sanders Thompson Ilana Seff Ozge Sensoy Bahar Morgan Shields Michelle Silver Fred Ssewamala Lindsay Stark Joe Steensma Siobhan Sutcliffe Rachel Tabak Jean-Francois Trani Nhial Tutlam Fei Wan Leyao Wang Karla Washington Erika A Waters Child and Maternal Health Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Dissemination and Implementation Environmental Health and Justice Global Health Health Equity Health Policy Public Mental Health Systems and Data Science Filter: Environmental Health and Justice Angela Hobson Teaching Professor 314-935-2760 hobsona@wustl.edu Angela Hobson teaches the Foundations of Public Health courses “Environmental Health” and “Epidemiology.” Hobson previously served as an adjunct faculty member at the Brown School and as an adjunct assistant professor in environmental and occupational health at Saint Louis University. Hobson has over 15 years of research and practice experience. Previous research has included occupational exposure assessment methodology for Parkinsonism among welders, heavy metal contamination assessment in the Peruvian Andes, and asthma management programs for low-income students in urban schools. Lora Iannotti Professor 314-935-4396 liannotti@wustl.edu Lora Iannotti has expertise in maternal and young child nutrition and nutrient deficiencies (zinc, iron, vitamin A, B12, choline, and fatty acids) related to poverty and infectious diseases. She applies epidemiological methods to investigate interventions aimed at reducing stunted growth and development. Iannotti leads projects in Haiti, Ecuador, and East Africa where she collaborates with local partners to test innovative, transdisciplinary approaches using animal source foods and small livestock and fisheries development. She is founder and director of the E3 Nutrition Lab, working to identify economically affordable, environmentally sustainable, and evolutionarily appropriate nutrition solutions globally. Vetta Sanders Thompson E. Desmond Lee Professor of Racial and Ethnic Diversity 314-935-3432 vthompson22@wustl.edu Vetta Sanders Thompson's research focuses on the health and well-being of diverse communities, particularly the African-American community. Her scholarship addresses racial identity and socialization, implications of experiences of discrimination and socio-cultural determinants of disparities. Her goal is to empower members of the community to improve their health and well-being through education and opportunities for action. Her funded research addresses promotion of cancer screening among African Americans and community engagement. Sanders Thompson currently leads the School's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, as well as co-directs the Center for Community Health Partnership and Research at the Institute for Public Health at Washington University. Joe Steensma Professor of Practice 314-935-3719 jsteensma@wustl.edu Joseph Steensma’s work exemplifies “transdisciplinary”. A successful scientist and entrepreneur who has founded and led several thriving businesses focused on public health, Steensma joined the faculty at the Brown School to help commercialize some of the innovative products and services the School has developed. In addition to his work in helping translate science into marketable solutions for real public health problems, Steensma has served as the president of the Board of Health in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Rachel Tabak Associate Professor 314-935-0153 rtabak@wustl.edu Rachel Tabak is a part of the Prevention Research Center and the Centene Center for Health Transformation, and works in obesity prevention and community-based physical activity and nutrition strategies. She is also interested in dissemination and implementation research. With a strong background in nutrition, Tabak is involved in research studies examining interventions to promote healthy nutrition and activity behaviors in families, particularly in the home environment. She also evaluates the effect of worksite policies and environments on worker health behaviors Leyao Wang Assistant Professor leyao.wang@wustl.edu