Monica Wang, ScD
Associate Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Community Health Sciences

ScD, Harvard School of Public Health
MS, Harvard School of Public Health
BA, Tufts University

Pronouns: she/her/hers



Dr. Wang is an Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is globally and nationally recognized as a researcher, educator, and thought leader on health equity, racial justice, and community-based research targeting chronic diseases. Dr. Wang has generated over $6 million in federal and foundation funding for her program of research and published over 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts and policy documents. Her prior leadership roles included serving as Chair of the Narrative Office at the BU Center for Antiracist Research and Chair of the Civic and Public Engagement Committee at the Society of Behavioral Medicine. 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 40 Under 40 Leaders in Health Award from the National Minority Quality Forum, 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. Dr. Wang has served as a consultant to one of the largest social media companies in the world on COVID-19 health misinformation management. Her work and insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio, The Boston Globe, and CBS. She obtained her doctoral and master's degrees from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Adjunct Associate Professor
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Health Policy & Management


Chair of Narrative Office
Boston University
Center for Antiracist Research


Member
Boston University
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research




Preventing Childhood Obesity Through Youth Empowerment: A Cluster RCT of the H2GO! Program
02/01/2020 - 01/31/2025 (PI)
NIH/National Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases
5R01DK120713-05

Racial Narrative Tracker
02/01/2023 - 01/31/2024 (PI)
Open Society Foundations


Racial Reporting Initiative
09/01/2020 - 12/31/2023 (PI)
The Ford Foundation


Center for Antiracist Research
07/01/2020 - 03/31/2023 (PI)
Open Society Foundations


Washington, D.C. Policy Tracker and Policy Initiative
12/01/2021 - 11/30/2022 (Multi-PI)
PI: Monica Wang, ScD
Melville Charitable Trust


Washington, D.C. Policy Tracker and Policy Initiative
11/08/2021 - 11/07/2022 (Co-Investigator)
IF Foundation


BU Center for Antiracist Research - The COVID Racial Data Tracker
08/01/2020 - 07/31/2021 (PI)
The Nathan Cummings Foundation


A culturally-tailored narrative intervention to target disparities in obesity
09/15/2014 - 07/31/2020 (PI)
NIH/National Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases
5K01DK102447-05



Title

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. 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
     
  2. 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). 2024 Aug 27. PMID: 39191926
     
  3. 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
     
  4. Wang ML, Gago CM. Shifts in Child Health Behaviors and Obesity After COVID-19. JAMA Pediatr. 2024 May 01; 178(5):427-428.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38436952
     
  5. Wang ML, Gago CM, Rodriguez K. Digital Redlining-The Invisible Structural Determinant of Health. JAMA. 2024 Apr 16; 331(15):1267-1268.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38497952; DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.1628;
     
  6. Wang ML, Narcisse MR, Togher K, McElfish PA. Job Flexibility, Job Security, and Mental Health Among US Working Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Mar 04; 7(3):e243439. PMID: 38526492; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.3439;
     
  7. Wang ML, Poulin O, McKinney H. Aligning Employee Health and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives in the Workplace: A Call for Synchronization. Am J Health Promot. 2024 Nov; 38(8):1091-1094. PMID: 38411461
     
  8. Wang ML, Gomes A, Rosa M, Copeland P, Santana VJ. A systematic review of diversity, equity, and inclusion and antiracism training studies: Findings and future directions. Transl Behav Med. 2024 Feb 23; 14(3):156-171. PMID: 37857367; DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibad061;
     
  9. Wang ML, Togher K. Health Misinformation on Social Media and Adolescent Health. JAMA Pediatr. 2024 Feb 01; 178(2):109-110. PMID: 38079180
     
  10. Wang ML. Health misinformation is rampant on social media: here's what it does, why it spreads, and what we can do about it. The Conversation. 2023. View Publication
Showing 10 of 94 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 94 publications over 13 distinct years, with a maximum of 11 publications in 2020

YearPublications
20122
201310
20147
20157
201610
20172
20186
20198
202011
20219
20224
20239
20249


Recent (within 3 months)

6 tips to help you vet health information on social media

WBUR 10/1/2024

There's a high dose of health misinformation on social media. Here are tips to navigate it

WBUR 9/18/2024

Older

CDC calls for pain management conversations before IUD insertions. Will providers follow?

Boston Globe 8/27/2024

‘I was screaming the whole time’: After years of complaints, some clinics now offer sedation for IUDs

The Boston Globe 6/9/2024

Not having job flexibility or security can leave workers feeling depressed, anxious and hopeless

The Conversation 3/26/2024

Workers with job flexibility and security have better mental health

Ars Technica 3/25/2024

Combating digital redlining is imperative for advancing health equity, say researchers

Medical Xpress 3/21/2024

Unsafe Health Claims Dominate Social Media. Health Class Can Give Students Vetting Tools

Education Week 2/9/2024

POV: Health Misinformation Is Rampant on Social Media

BU Today 2/9/2024

Researchers Share Recommendations to Combat Health Misinformation Spread to Adolescents on Social Media

Pharmacy Times 12/15/2023

Health misinformation is rampant on social media – here’s what it does, why it spreads and what people can do about it

The Conversation 12/13/2023

Health misinformation is rampant on social media – here's what it does, why it spreads and what people can do about it

Chron 12/13/2023

Are Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives Helping Workers—or Dividing Them?

BU Today 11/28/2023

BU Celebrates Best Student Employees and Supervisor

BU Today 4/10/2023

Who’s going to check them?

The Empancipator 3/13/2023

Tunde, Ibram X. Kendi, and Peloton Pledge Partner, The Center for Antiracist Research, Discuss Mental Wellness and Antiracism

The Clip Out 2/16/2023

US neighborhood walkability influences physical activity, BMI levels (

Medical Xpress 2/3/2023

Why racism is a public health crisis

The Emancipator 11/30/2022

“A Lasting Legacy of Excellence”: Reflections on President Brown’s Impact on BU Research

BU Today 9/8/2022

Health misinformation is making us sick

The Boston Globe 9/1/2022

BU Celebrates Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Rise to US Supreme Court

BU Today 4/7/2022

Greater social cohesion associated with more physical activity, less obesity

Healio 1/25/2022

New lawn libraries are popping up across the country, and they’re stocked with just one kind of book: Anti-racist

The Washington Post 12/16/2021

Is Covid’s winter surge already here? Experts warn the pandemic isn’t over

Yahoo! News 11/10/2021

Medical Campus Promotes 13 Faculty to Associate Professor

BU Today 7/30/2021

Solving Health Disparities In Communities of Color Requires Holistic Approach

WGBH 5/25/2021

Derek Chauvin Trial: BU Community Reacts to the Guilty Verdict

BU Today 4/20/2021

Ayanna Pressley, Elizabeth Warren to Headline Forum on Antiracism as Health Policy

BU Today 4/5/2021

PhD Students Host Podcast on BU, Antiracism, and Next Steps

BU Today 3/23/2021

Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research and Boston Globe’s Opinion Team to Bring Back Antislavery Newspaper, The Emancipator

Diverse Issues in Higher Education 3/16/2021

BU Community Writes Joe Biden’s Inaugural Address

BU Today 1/19/2021

BU Community Writes Joe Biden’s Inaugural Address

BU Today 1/19/2021

A Novel Program to Reduce Sugary Drink Consumption and Obesity Risk in Children

BU Today 3/9/2020

2023 Boston University : Superivsor of the Year (Runner Up)
2023 Boston Congress of Public Health: 40 under 40 Public Health Catalyst Award
2023 National Minority Quality Forum: 40 Under 40 Leaders in Health
2022 Society of Behavioral Medicine: Leading the Narrative Award
2021 Boston University School of Public Health: Excellence in Public Health Practice
2018 Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce: Ten Outstanding Young Leaders Award
2016 Society of Behavioral Medicine: Early Career Investigator Award
2016 Boston University School of Public Health: Excellence in Teaching Award
2014 Boston University School of Public Health: Junior Faculty Research Poster Award, 1st Prize
2014 National Institutes of Health: NIH Loan Repayment Program Awardee
2012 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston Children's Hospital: Dissertation Award
2011-2012 Harvard University: Harvard University Presidential Instructional Technology Fellowship
2011 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Doctoral Research Poster Honorable Mention
2010-2011 Albert Schweitzer Fellowship: Elected Fellow
2010 Harvard T.H. School of Public Health: Teaching Assistance Award
2009-2010 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Doctoral Student Award, Glickenhaus Fund
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