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Monica L. Wang, ScD

Associate Professor, Community Health Sciences - Boston University School of Public Health

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Biography

Dr. Monica L. 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 Executive Editor of Public Health Post. She is an award-winning researcher and educator specializing in the social and structural determinants of health, chronic disease prevention, and health communication.

Over the past 12 years, she has served as Principal Investigator on NIH and foundation-funded research totaling more than $6 million, advancing efforts to improve nutrition and support the health of children, families, and underserved communities. Her work has been published in leading academic journals including JAMA and JAMA Pediatrics and featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Forbes, National Geographic, The Boston Globe, and CBS.

A dedicated educator with formal training in case-based and online teaching, Dr. Wang has developed and taught graduate-level courses on the social determinants of health, health communications, and leadership and management at Harvard and Boston University since 2010. She has received numerous awards for research, teaching, and service, including the Society of Behavioral Medicine’s Leading the Narrative Award and Early Investigator Award, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Ten Outstanding Young Leaders Award, and Boston University’s Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Public Health Practice awards.

Dr. Wang earned her Doctor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Her work is driven by a commitment to bridging research and real-world application, with a focus on practical, evidence-based solutions that improve health for individuals and communities most in need.

Other Positions

  • Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Policy & Management - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
  • Chair of Narrative Office, Center for Antiracist Research - Boston University
  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research - Boston University

Education

  • Harvard School of Public Health, ScD Field of Study: Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • Harvard School of Public Health, MS Field of Study: Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • Tufts University, BA Field of Study: Public Health

Websites

Classes Taught

  • SPHSB806

Publications

  • Published on 3/3/2025

    Wang ML, Narcisse MR. Discrimination, Depression, and Anxiety Among US Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Mar 03; 8(3):e252404. PMID: 40152858.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 2/3/2025

    Wang ML, Narcisse MR, Rodriguez K, McElfish PA. Gender disparities in job flexibility, job security, psychological distress, work absenteeism, and work presenteeism among U.S. adults. SSM Popul Health. 2025 Mar; 29:101761. PMID: 40007632.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 1/16/2025

    Wang ML, Bertrand KA. AI for all: bridging data gaps in machine learning and health. Transl Behav Med. 2025 Jan 16; 15(1). PMID: 39868946.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 10/30/2024

    Wang ML. Digital redlining perpetuates health inequity. Here’s how we fix it. Harvard Public Health Magazine. 2024.

     Read At: Custom
  • Published on 9/3/2024

    Narcisse MR, Wang ML, Stanford FC, Schwarz AG, McElfish PA. Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Age-Varying Association Between Adherence to 8-5-2-1-0 Guidelines in Adolescents with High BMI. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2024 Sep 03. PMID: 39227545.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 8/27/2024

    Pagoto SL, Goetz JM, Xu R, Wang ML, Palmer L, Lemon SC. Randomized non-inferiority trial comparing an asynchronous remotely-delivered versus clinic-delivered lifestyle intervention. Int J Obes (Lond). 2025 Jan; 49(1):76-83. PMID: 39191926.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 5/22/2024

    Narcisse MR, Wang ML, Schootman M, DelNero P, Schwarz AG, McElfish PA. Physical activity among cancer survivors: do neighborhood walkability and metropolitan size play a role? J Cancer Surviv. 2024 May 22. PMID: 38775900.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 5/1/2024

    Wang ML, Gago CM. Shifts in Child Health Behaviors and Obesity After COVID-19. JAMA Pediatr. 2024 May 01; 178(5):427-428. PMID: 38436952.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 4/16/2024

    Wang ML, Gago CM, Rodriguez K. Digital Redlining-The Invisible Structural Determinant of Health. JAMA. 2024 Apr 16; 331(15):1267-1268. PMID: 38497952.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 3/26/2024

    Wang, ML. Not having job flexibility or security can leave workers feeling depressed, anxious and hopeless. The Conversation. 2024.

     Read At: Custom

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News & In the Media

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