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Monica Wang
Adjunct Faculty

Monica Wang

Adjunct Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management

Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Departments

Department of Health Policy and Management

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.

Education and Training

  • ScD, Social and Behavioral Sciences
    Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
  • MS, Social and Behavioral Sciences
    Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
  • BA, Community Health; Child Development
    Tufts University

Awards and Honors

  • Paper of the Year, 2024
    American Journal of Health Promotion
  • 40 Under 40 Leaders in Health, 2023
    National Minority Quality Forum
  • 40 Under 40 Public Health Catalysts, 2023
    Boston Congress of Public Health
  • Supervisor of the Year, 2023
    Boston University
  • Leading the Narrative Award, 2022
    Society of Behavioral Medicine
  • Ten Outstanding Young Leaders Award, 2018
    Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
  • Early Career Investigator Award, 2016
    Society of Behavioral Medicine
  • Excellence in Teaching Award, 2016
    Boston University School of Public Health
  • Junior Faculty Research Poster Award, 1st Place, 2014
    Boston University School of Public Health
  • Dissertation Award, 2012
    Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders, Boston Children's Hospital
  • Teaching Assistance Award, 2010
    Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
  • Doctoral Student Award, 2009 - 2010
    Glickenhaus Fund, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Publications