Leaders in Health

The Leaders in Health (LIH) program strengthens community health initiatives through introductory training in public health research and science. The goal of the Leaders in Health program is to build the capacity of our community partners by providing participants with an introduction to the fundamentals of community-based participatory research (CBPR), program planning, and evaluation. Participants attend interactive training sessions, complete assignments, and receive support to create an action plan to enhance their work. Be sure to take a look below at our Alumni Highlights section to see what Leaders in Health alumni have been up to! 

Check out our Leaders in Health implementation guide! 

Our step-by-step guide is designed to help public health organizations and universities strengthen the capacity of community nutrition and physical activity initiatives by implementing the Leaders in Health (LIH) curriculum, which provides introductory training in public health research and science for community health practitioners. 

The application period for a new cohort typically opens each August, and participants are chosen by mid-September. The program takes place from September through November. Participants should expect to dedicate two hours per week for training sessions as well as an additional two hours of their own time completing readings, assignments, and applying what they have learned to their project.

From 2011-2014, the HPRC partnered with the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness (BCFF), and Harvard Catalyst’s Community Engagement Program, on a training focused on nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention among children and youth. Through our conversations with community partners working to improve nutrition and physical activity and leadership of our CAB co-chairs, we learned that many organizations asked for a program to help better understand and use the public health approach, community-based participatory research methods, and the science underlying effective evidence-based obesity prevention strategies. 

Leaders in Health was re-launched in 2017 with the Harvard Chan Office of Diversity and Inclusion under co-Directors, Bekka Lee and Ra’Shaun Nalls, with a broader focus on population health and prevention—expanding to include projects on topics such as elder wellness, health in housing, and sexual health promotion. 

Topics covered during the Leaders in Health Program include: 

• Public Health Principles & Practice 
• Community-Based Participatory Research 
• Health Equity 
• Project Planning & Implementation 
• Program Evaluation 
• Public Speaking & Policy Advocacy 

Within the first few weeks of the program, members identify a project that they are working on which they think could be enhanced by LIH principles. Then, over the second half of the program, participants create action plans, construct logic models, and examine evaluation and implementation strategies to help translate their knowledge into practice. 

During the final week of the program, LIH participants presented an outline of the key components of their projects, such as specific aims, target population, activities, outcomes, and LIH concepts that they applied. 

Program Dates: 2011-2014, 2017-present 
Contact: Rebekka Lee

2021

• David Dankwah, Director of Faith & Religious Community Engagement, Global Collaborative for Preventing and Healing Sexual Abuse
• Moses Dixon, President & CEO, Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging
• Yoel Drachman, Senior Advisor, Center to Advance Consumer Partnership
• Steven Flythe, Case Manager, City of Somerville Department of Health and Human Services
• Durrell Harris, Associate Director of Community Engagement, Urban Edge Housing Corporation
• Anaëlle Séïde, Public Health Analyst, Boston Trauma Response, JRI
• Adriana Tejada, Child Nutrition and Communications Coordinator, New Hampshire Hunger Solutions
• Areerut “Mimi” Wattanarungsun, Health Advocate

2020

• Yessenia Alfaro, Community Engagement Director, The Chelsea Collaborative
• Mary Burns, Volunteer, Roxbury Tenants of Harvard
• Jamila Gordon, Active Living Project Manager, Boston Public Health Commission
• Aliese Lash, Youth Programs Social Worker, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• Jennifer Lewis, Youth Education Services & Workforce Development, Roxbury Tenants of Harvard
• Elecia Miller, Coordinator, City of Lawrence Mayor’s Health Task Force
• Maame Obeng, Volunteer, Ron Burton Training Village
• Brad Phillen, Cambridge in Motion Program Specialist, Cambridge Public Health Department
• Leslie Stafford, Health Equity and Wellness Organizer, Madison Park Development Corporation
• Marie Jacques Toussaint, Volunteer, Immigrant Family Services Institute
• Lisa Walden, Outreach and Evaluation Specialist, Action for Boston Community Development

2013

• Mary Beth Byrnes, Ohrenberger Community Health Center
• Alveta Haynes, Peoples Baptist Church
• Chien-Chi Huang, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center 
• Robert Kordenbrock, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
• Jennifer Munoz, Mother Caroline Academy 
• Irene O’Hayer, Brookside Community Health Center
• Daisy Ortega, Health Resources in Action 
• Michael Peck, Boston Public Schools
• Carolina Prieto, Sociedad Latina 
• Vickey Siggers, Mattapan Square Farmers’ Market 

2011

• Linda Brandon, Smart from the Start Program
• Brandy K. Cruthird, Body By Brandy and Body By Brandy 4 Kidz 
• Hector Cruz, Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) 
• Judith Ellen, UMass Boston 
• Jen French, Bowdoin Street Health Center 
• Anne Greenbaum, Sportsmen’s Tennis & Enrichment Center 
• Carmen Johnson, Boston Public Health Commission 

Dr. Moses Dixon, who participated in the 2021 cohort of the Leaders in Health program and is the President and CEO of Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging, launched a new podcast in May 2023: Aging Well Together. The podcast includes insight from Dr. Dixon and other renowned thought leaders as they explore topics of affordable living, healthcare, and wellness for seniors. In the first episode, Dr. Dixon sits down with U.S. Representative James McGovern (D-MA) to discuss the new Grandparents Raising Grandkids Resource Center and innovative ways to address issues concerning grand-families.

Listen now!

A member of the 11^th cohort of Leaders in Health and founder of PureSpark, Nieisha Deed, recently spoke with GBH’s All Things Considered host Judie Yuill about her personal experiences with mental health care and fostering better care and mental wellness within the Black community.

PureSpark is committed to tackling disparities in mental health care within the Greater Boston area and pioneered the state’s inaugural wellness directory tailored for Black individuals. Through this week, Nieisha’s mission is to reduce stigma around seeking mental health support and empower individuals to develop coping mechanisms.

Read/listen here!