NCID-1464
Meghan Morris
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
University of California, San Francisco
Education/Degree:
1 Epidemiology (University of California San Diego & San Diego State University (Joint Program))
About
Dr. Morris' professional activities are grounded in engaging diverse partners in the development of evidence-based policy change to reduce social inequalities and improve health among underserved communities. As an assistant professor, Meghan's research focuses on applying epidemiological methods to study the impact of individual, social, and structural factors on disease transmission within marginalized populations. In particular, her work has focused on using qualitative and quantitative methods to examine social determinants of health within persons who use drugs, including HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, worldwide. Dr. Morris is a core member of the first US city-based initiative to eliminate hepatitis C virus (End HepC SF). As an educator, Dr. Morris takes pleasure in exposing learners to the intersection of social justice and epidemiology. Meghan serves as the chair of her department's diversity committee and a founding member of the national Society for Epidemiological Research (SER) diversity and inclusion initiative.
Current Work
Dr. Morris' scholarship is situated at the intersection of social justice and epidemiology. Meghan applies her quantitative training in infectious disease epidemiology to questions related to social and structural drivers of health disparities. Throughout her professional career, Meghan has employed qualitative research methods parallel or integrated with traditional quantitative research methods. This use of mixed methods approaches yield research findings able to reach the needs of community members, policymakers, and service providers through their contextual relevance. More recently, Meghan has expanded her methodological skill set to include multilevel research and analytic methods aimed at dyadic or interpersonal phenomena. She currently has an NIH Career Development Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to examine the injection drug use related interpersonal dynamics associated with HCV transmission and HCV treatment access.
Research Area Keyword(s)
Infectious disease, qualitative research methods, quantitative research methods, Social determinants of health, substance dependence