Research Faculty

Our Faculty

Alyssa Tilhou, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Family Physician and Addiction Subspecialist
Research Director
I study inequities in access and quality of primary health care services with a particular focus on substance use treatment. My goal is to leverage existing large secondary data through claims and clinical extracts to identify populations and practices to improve health outcomes among marginalized patient populations.
Katherine R. Standish, MD, MS
Assistant Professor
Family Physician and Breastfeeding Specialist

Assistant Research Director and Fellowship Director Co-Director, BMC Breastfeeding Equity Center
My academic and clinical endeavors are focused on improving human health through breastfeeding, particularly in socially marginalized and medically vulnerable populations. I study interventions that support families in achieving their breastfeeding intentions. My long-term goal is to facilitate integrative transformation of health systems and communities to be fully knowledgeable and supportive of breastfeeding.

Khushbu Patel, MA
Research Project Manager
I have been working in research project management since 2016 particularly in the fields of mental health and trauma. I am particularly interested in developing cultural adaptations of evidence-based mental health treatments for patients who have experienced trauma. In my role as research project manager, I support the faculty and department in growing research capacity and post-award management.
Kirsten Austad, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Associate Director, Evans Center for Implementation & Improvement Science (CIIS), Boston University
My research seeks to use implementation science to promote health equity and improve patient experience in safety-net settings. Methodologically, I am interested in intervention adaptation to reduce health disparities and facilitate linguistic and cultural concordance. My current research focuses on improving the quality of hospital discharge care for patients with limited English proficiency.
Marielle Baldwin, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Director of Addiction Track
Family Physician

My clinical and research interests focus on stimulant use disorders, harm reduction, sexualized drug use, and integrating stimulant care in primary care settings. As Medical Director for the Stimulant Treatment and Recovery Team (START) and Director of the Office-Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) Program in Family Medicine at BMC, I lead initiatives using evidence-based techniques to support patients with stimulant use disorders. Additionally, I oversee the Hepatitis C Program in Family Medicine and have catalyzed various clinical programs and quality improvement efforts since joining the BU Department of Family Medicine faculty.
Linda L. Barnes
Professor
Director of Graduate Program in Medical Anthropology

I am a medical anthropologist and a scholar in the study of world religions. I research and teaching interests address the intersections of culture, religion and spirituality, and complementary and alternative therapies.
Katherine Gergen Barnett, MD
Associate Professor
Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation- Dept. Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center
Affiliate, Harvard Center for Primary Care
Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Institute
My primary clinical interests are behavioral health, trauma informed care, gender affirming care, women’s and reproductive health, and holistic medicine. I am also involved in local and state health policy addressing health inequities, national policy addressing primary care delivery, and I am a regular contributor to The Boston Globe, Boston Public Radio, and multiple television outlets.
Nathan Cardoos, MD, CAQSM
Assistant Professor
Medical Director, Ryan Center for Sports Medicine
Director, Boston University Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship
Team Physician, Boston University
I am studying a retinal tracking device that holds promise as an objective tool for the diagnosis and management of concussions. 
Laura Goldman, MD
Clinical Professor
Director of Provider Recruitment
Director of Geriatrics
Deputy Director Global Health Collaborative 

My research interests include medical education, geriatrics, and global health. I am the Director of Geriatrics in the Department of Family Medicine and the deputy director of the Global Health Collaborative. I lead the “Strengthening Primary Care in Cambodia” project, which has contributed to medical education reform in Cambodia and have worked to strengthen primary care health systems in Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. I also practice Family Medicine at South Boston Community Health Center.
Brian W. Jack, MD  
Professor

My research focuses on improving healthcare systems and patient outcomes. I developed the “ReEngineered Discharge” (Project RED), a national safe practice adopted by many hospitals to enhance the hospital discharge process. My work includes the creation of the conversational agent system “Louise” to deliver RED, and numerous projects funded by organizations like AHRQ and PCORI to reduce hospital readmissions and optimize transitional care. Additionally, I pioneered preconception care, developing health IT systems like “Gabby” to improve delivery and studying its implementation and adaptation across various settings and populations.

Lance D. Laird, ThD
Assistant Professor
Assistant Director,  MS Program in Medical Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Practice 
My research focuses on the intersection of religions, medicines, and healing; with a special focus on American Muslims. I conduct community-based ethnographic and qualitative studies with immigrant, refugee, and other minoritized groups to promote health equity.

Jeff Markuns, MD
Assistant Professor
Program Director, MS in Health Professions Education
I focus on healthcare workforce development, with a particular emphasis on improving the training of primary care clinicians and enhancing primary care systems to improve outcomes in local communities. I have experience building and supporting teams in Southeast Asia, Armenia, and other regions around the world.
Heather Miselis, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor 
Director of Student Education
Principal Investigator BU Community Health Alliance of Medical Professionals  Program
Assistant Dean for Alumni Affairs, Boston University School of Medicine

I work to develop healthcare teams that address the quadruple aim of enhancing patient experience, improving population health, reducing healthcare costs, and improving the work life of healthcare providers. My mixed-methods research focuses on evaluating the effects of patient-centered team-based care on patient, trainee, and healthcare outcomes. My expertise and interests include interprofessional practice and education, team-based collaboration, continuous quality improvement, leadership development, and practice management.
Elizabeth Sommers, PhD, MPH, LicAc
Assistant Professor 
Senior Acupuncturist and Researcher- Health Disparities and Integrative Medicine Program
My research has focused on examining the role of acutherapy in addressing recovery from substance use disorder; contributing to health and quality of life for individuals living with HIV; and in assessing economic impact of integrative approaches.
Stephen Wilson, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Professor
Chief, Chair of Family Medicine
Chair, Family Medicine- Boston University School of Medicine
Chief of Family Medicine-Boston Medical Center
ABFM Board of Directors
Editorial Board- Family Medicine
I specialize in family medicine with extensive experience in medical decision-making education and faculty development. With over 85 peer-reviewed publications, I have been recognized for my teaching and mentoring at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Penn State College of Medicine. My research and scholarship have earned accolades from several prestigious organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.