Eileen B. O’Keefe, MD, MPH

Research Interests

• Public health, social determinants of health, health inequities, epidemiology, maternal and child health

Background

Eileen B. O’Keefe, MD, MPH is a clinical professor in the Department of Health Sciences, a physician, and public health professional. Dr. O’Keefe joined the Boston University faculty in 2004 as the inaugural director of the Health Science Program, serving in that capacity until 2016. Her research focuses on the social determinants of health – the social and environmental conditions in which people live – and the impact of these conditions in the generation of  health inequities within society. Her work focuses on how health inequities are shaped by the distribution of resources, money, and power and the critical role played by social policies in reducing or exacerbating these inequities. Her research has included health assessment of urban populations, such as Hartford Connecticut, to assessment of the health of women in rural villages of Gujarat, India. Dr. O’Keefe is active in national public health policy and serves as a governing councilor with the American Public Health Association and as associate editor for Frontiers in Public Health – Epidemiology.