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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

Filter: Public Mental Health

Alexis-Duncan

Alexis Duncan

Associate Professor

  • 314-935-6758
  • aduncan@wustl.edu

Alexis Duncan’s research focuses on risk mechanisms and psychiatric comorbidity of obesity, eating disorders and substance use disorders, particularly among women. Her additional research interests include nosology (the study of diagnostic criteria) of psychiatric disorders, the effects of child maltreatment, and differences in psychopathology by race, gender and sexual orientation.
Diana Parra-Perez

Diana Parra Perez

Assistant Professor

  • parrad@wustl.edu

Dr. Diana Parra Perez is an Assistant Professor at Prevention Research Center, from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Parra Perez is Associate Director for Faculty and Scholarship, at the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Equity (CRE2), and Co-Principal Investigator of the NSF ADVANCE AIM for Equity Insitutional Grant. Dr. Parra Perez is also a founding member and Co-Lead of the Mindfulness Science and Practice Cluster at WashU. Dr. Parra Perez is steering Committee Member as Events Chair of the SOMOS WashU Affinity Group, and a Scholar at the Institute of Public Health.
Rodrigo Reis

Rodrigo Reis

Professor

  • 314-935-4948
  • reis.rodrigo@wustl.edu

Rodrigo Reis is an investigator at the Prevention Research Center, and his research focuses on built and community environment and public health, with particular interest in community interventions for promoting physical activity, the effect of the built environment and active transportation on physical activity and health. At the Brown School, Reis teaches courses focusing on the built environment and public health. Prior to joining the Brown School, Reis was on the faculty at Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, as well as the Federal University of Parana in Curitiba, Brazil.
Vetta Thompson

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.
Ilana Seff

Ilana Seff

Research Assistant Professor

  • 407-463-8147
  • seff@wustl.edu

Ilana Seff's research agenda focuses on improving the lives of vulnerable and marginalized populations across the globe using evidence-based solutions. Her broad research experience and interests include the prevention of violence against women and girls, particularly in humanitarian settings, social norms related to violence, and the psychosocial well-being and mental health of refugees and displaced populations.
Morgan Shields

Morgan Shields

Assistant Professor

  • mshields@wustl.edu

Morgan Shields’ researches the quality and accountability of behavioral healthcare. Her work seeks to identify implementation strategies to improve the use of evidence-based practices, with a focus on patient-centered care and equity. She is particularly focused on identifying policies (e.g., payment, regulations) to motivate and support quality improvement. Shields is one of few people studying the quality of inpatient psychiatry. Her research identifying disparities in quality performance at the Veterans Health Administration led to internal investigations by the Deputy Under Secretary for Health and Organizational Excellence.