Monica Wang
Profiles

Monica L. Wang, ScD

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

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Biography

Dr. Wang is an Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health, Chair of the Narrative Office at the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 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 $6 million in federal and foundation grants and over $1.5 million in gifts for her portfolio of work and published over 55 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 Leading the Narrative Award, 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 advanced science communication initiatives through her former role as Chair of the Civic and Public Engagement Committee of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. She is currently an advisory board member of The Emancipator and sits on the Board of Directors of Vital CxNS. Her work and insights have been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, the Boston Globe, and CBS.

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

Publications

  • Published on 6/21/2023

    Gordon AR, Egan KA, Wang ML, Ziyadeh NJ, Kenney EL, Rosario M, Austin SB. Weight-based discrimination and disordered eating behaviors in a cohort of U.S. sexual minority young adults. Int J Eat Disord. 2023 Jun 21. PMID: 37345224.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 5/8/2023

    Alatorre S, Schwarz AG, Egan KA, Feldman AR, Rosa M, Wang ML. Exploring Social Media Preferences for Healthy Weight Management Interventions Among Adolescents of Color: Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2023 May 08; 6:e43961. PMID: 37155230.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 4/3/2023

    Wang ML, Britton OJ, Beard J. The call for science communication and public scholarship. Transl Behav Med. 2023 Apr 03; 13(3):156-159. PMID: 36525596.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 3/21/2023

    Ausenhus C, Gold JM, Perry CK, Kozak AT, Wang ML, Jang SH, Leong J, Rodriguez E, Duggan C, Ko LK. Publisher Correction: Factors impacting implementation of nutrition and physical activity policies in rural schools. BMC Public Health. 2023 Mar 21; 23(1):538. PMID: 36944964.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 3/21/2023

    Ausenhus C, Gold JM, Perry CK, Kozak AT, Wang ML, Jang SH, Leong J, Rodriguez E, Duggan C, Ko LK. Publisher Correction: Factors impacting implementation of nutrition and physical activity policies in rural schools. BMC Public Health. 2023 Mar 21; 23(1):538. PMID: 36944964.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 2/10/2023

    Ausenhus C, Gold JM, Perry CK, Kozak A, Wang ML, Jang SH, Leong J, Rodriguez E, Duggan C, Ko LK. Factors impacting implementation of nutrition and physical activity policies in rural schools. BMC Public Health. 2023 Feb 10; 23(1):308. PMID: 36765324.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 12/12/2022

    Wang ML, Narcisse MR, McElfish PA. Higher walkability associated with increased physical activity and reduced obesity among United States adults. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Feb; 31(2):553-564. PMID: 36504362.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 10/31/2022

    Alatorre S, Schwarz AG, Egan KA, Feldman AR, Wang ML. Exploring Social Media Preferences for Healthy Weight Management Interventions among Adolescents of Color: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study. JMIR Preprints. 2022; (43961).
  • Published on 9/2/2022

    Wang, ML. Health Misinformation is Making Us Sick. The Boston Globe Opinion. 2022.

     Read At: Custom
  • Published on 4/7/2022

    Wang ML. To Transform Public Health, Invest in Behavioral Research. The Boston Globe Opinion. 2022.

     Read At: Custom

View 72 more publications:View Full Profile at BUMC

News & In the Media

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