Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) Initiative
In 2021, Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH) and the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) received a 5-year $14.4 million NIH grant to focus on health disparities research on population health and intervention science in aging, chronic disease, and environmental determinants.
The NIH-funded Drexel FIRST (Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation) program aims to create sustainable institutional changes necessary to promote inclusive excellence for all and contribute to the science of health disparities that have an impact on individuals, communities, and populations.
Inclusive excellence refers to:
- A culture that establishes and sustains scientific environments that cultivate and benefit from a full range of talents
- The recruitment of a critical mass of diverse, early career researchers who are dedicated to understanding the drivers of health inequities
Diverse, early career researchers are faculty from groups identified as underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences (described in NOT-OD-20-031) including but not limited to racial and ethnic minoritized populations, those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, and women.
Visit the Drexel FIRST website to learn more.
Meet our FIRST faculty:
FIRST Faculty at the College of Nursing and Health Professions
Assistant Professor of Nursing
College of Nursing and Health Professions
Joint appointment with Dornsife's Department of Health Management and Policy
smo93@drexel.edu
Research Interests:
Aging, Accidental Falls, Sleep, Home Environment, Socioeconomic Factors
FIRST Faculty at the Dornsife School of Public Health
-
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel FIRST Program
smh483@drexel.edu
Research Interests:
- Demography
- Health Disparities
- LGBT Health Disparities
- Population Health
- Minoritization
- Intersectionality
- Sexual and Gender Minority Health
-
Assistant Professor
Environmental and Occupational Health, Drexel FIRST Program, Urban Health Collaborative
jlk465@drexel.edu
Research Interests:
- Environmental Exposures
- Urban Health
- Health Disparities
- Environmental and Social Epidemiology
- Climate Change
- Global Health
-
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel FIRST Program
jal538@drexel.edu
Research Interests:
- Structural and Interpersonal Racism
- Racial/Ethnic Health Inequities
- Social Epidemiology
- Urban Health
- Quantitative Methods for Social Epidemiology
- Aging and Cognitive Function
- Embodiment
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
-
Assistant Professor
Community Health & Prevention
bm3345@drexel.edu
Research Interests:
- Immigrant Health
- Global Health or International Health
- Community Engaged Research
- Community Based Participatory Research
- Race and Ethnicity
- Health Disparities
-
Assistant Professor
Health Management and Policy, Drexel FIRST Program
ko497@drexel.edu
Research Interests:
- Aging/Lifecourse
- Community Engaged Research
- Health Disparities
- Health Services Research
- Population Health
- Racial and Ethnic Health Inequalities
- Sexual Minorities and Neighborhoods
- Substance Use
-
Assistant Professor
Community Health & Prevention, Drexel FIRST Program
lp954@drexel.edu
Research Interests:
- Cancer
- Tobacco-related Health Disparities
- Community Engaged Research
- Health Communication
-
Assistant Professor
Health Management & Policy, Drexel FIRST Program
gs839@drexel.edu
Research Interests:
- Social Epidemiology
- Health Inequities
- Urban Health
- Housing
- Segregation
- Police Violence
- Quantitative Methods
- Social Policy
- Life Course Epidemiology
- Structural Racism
- Social Stratification
-
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel FIRST Program
as5796@drexel.edu
Research Interests:
- Aging
- Biopsychosocial Factors of Health
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Health Disparities
- Life Course
- Racial Health Inequalities
- Renal Disease
- Socioeconomic Status
- Stress
-
Assistant Professor
Community Health and Prevention, Drexel FIRST Program
lav53@drexel.edu
Research Interests:
- Gender-Transformative Interventions
- Patriarchy and Health
- Men’s Health
- Participatory Action Research
- Latinx Health Disparities
- Substance Use
- Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Stress
-
Assistant Professor
Community Health and Prevention, Drexel FIRST Program
kofoworola.williams@drexel.edu
Research Interests:
- Black Men & Boys' Mental Health
- Mental Health Promotion & Prevention
- Social and Behavioral Determinants
- Access
- Masculinities
- Help-Seeking
- Social Media & Digital Technologies
- User-Centered Design
- Qualitative & Mixed Methods
- Community-Engaged Research
- Health Disparities
- Digital Mental Health Equity
Latest News from FIRST Faculty
January 30, 2023 - A special edition of the American Journal of Public Health featured papers by multiple researchers at the Dornsife School of Public Health on structural racism and practices that need changing.
January 12, 2023 - Research from Drexel found that targeting specific fall-risk factors could improve fall screening and prevention strategies.
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January 06, 2023 - New partnership with Galaei, a Queer and Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC) radical social justice organization.
September 12, 2022 - Dornsife welcomes 15 new faculty members in the 2022-2023 academic year. Permeating their work is a focus on understanding and intervening on systemic racism and inequality as drivers of health.