Leading health equity researcher Darrell Hudson '02, has been named chair of the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. His appointment will be for a five-year term, effective August 26, 2024.
“Dr. Hudson has solidified his national reputation as a leading health equity scholar, making impactful research contributions through rigorous, interdisciplinary, and innovative scholarship,” said F. DuBois Bowman, dean of Michigan Public Health. “His research is timely and important as it investigates racial, ethnic and socioeconomic health inequities across mental and physical health outcomes.”
Hudson was selected after a competitive nationwide search, with significant input from the department.
His scholarly work focuses on the social determinants of health and how social stressors can impact health outcomes for a wide range of diseases and can drive health inequities from birth and childhood through adulthood. He has authored more than 70 publications, and he and his colleagues have secured over $15 million in research grants and contracts, including from the National Institutes of Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ford Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, and Missouri Foundation for Health.
As a faculty member at Washington University in St. Louis since 2011, Hudson served as the director of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Equity, helped lead the university’s cluster hire recruitment initiatives and served on university-wide committees focused on equity. He served on the board of trustees for the St. Louis Mental Health Board and is a member of the board of directors for CareSTL, which provides essential health services to historically marginalized communities in St. Louis.
A Detroit native and graduate of Michigan Public Health, Hudson said he looks forward to returning to Michigan.
“I am also excited about the opportunity to work with outstanding colleagues and incredible students who are passionate and highly capable,” he said. “It’s easy to take for granted how unique of a place Michigan is. It has this overall excellence, it’s a research powerhouse, and the faculty are outstanding while also very collegial. Having been a student here, I have a great appreciation for the contributions of HBHE faculty, historically and contemporary, and the training for MPH and doctoral students is outstanding. I’d like to continue that legacy.”
In August, the name of the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education will change to Health Behavior and Health Equity, reflecting the department’s longstanding commitment to and focus on equity. For Hudson, this could not be a better fit.
“My entire research agenda centers on equity,” he said. “I like to say that my ultimate goal is to put myself out of business. I want to completely eliminate racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities in health. And at this stage of my career, I believe that collective impact is the way to advance health equity. I believe that with colleagues, students, staff, alumni, and partners within HBHE, throughout the School of Public Health, and beyond, we will continue to make substantial strides toward equity.”
Read the full article and learn more at sph.umich.edu
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