Monica Wang

Dr. Wang is an Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Associate Director of Narrative at the BU Center for Antiracist Research.

Dr. Wang is nationally recognized as a leading health equity researcher in obesity and chronic disease prevention. She directs community-engaged research to target racial inequities in health and pursues cross-sector collaborations to promote health and health equity through public health interventions and policies. Dr. Wang has generated over $5 million in federal and foundation grants and over $1.5 million in gifts for her portfolio of work and published over 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts and over a dozen policy and public engagement documents. One of her current studies is a randomized controlled trial of a youth empowerment intervention to reduce consumption of sugary drinks and obesity risk through youth narratives. As an expert in curriculum development, case-based teaching, and digital learning design, Dr. Wang has developed and taught graduate courses on the social determinants of health at Harvard and Boston University since 2010.

Dr. Wang has received numerous national, regional, and institutional awards for her research, teaching, and service, including the Society of Behavioral Medicine Early Investigator Award, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Ten Outstanding Young Leaders Award, and the Boston University School of Public Health Excellence in Teaching Award and Excellence in Public Health Practice Award. At the national level, she advances science communication initiatives through her role as former Chair and current member of the Civic and Public Engagement Committee of the Society of Behavioral Medicine and as a co-founding Editorial Board Member of The Emancipator.