SOGIE Health Equity Research Collaborative
The mission of the SOGIE Collaborative is to advance health equity for all communities, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.
Alex McDowell, PhD, MPH, MSN, RN
Assistant Professor of Population Medicine, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute
Dr. Alex McDowell (all pronouns) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute. She is a health policy and health services researcher whose work focuses on mental health, LGBTQ+ health, and adolescent health in the United States. She studies how health policy and insurance design affect access to care and health outcomes. Dr. McDowell received her PhD in Health Policy from Harvard University, with a concentration in evaluative science and statistics. Prior to completing doctoral work, she earned an MPH, MS in Nursing, and BS in Nursing from Johns Hopkins, as well as a BA in Gender Studies from Georgetown University.
Representative Publications
- Overhage LN, Cook BL, Rosenthal MB, Hatfield LA, McDowell A. State Bans on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts and Youth Suicidality. Health Serv Res. Published online May 12, 2025. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.14635
- Koma JW, Khong K, Dias AF, Babbs G, Rosenthal M, Charlton B, Huskamp HA, McDowell A, Fung V. Unmet mental health need and barriers to care among transgender and cisgender adults. Am J Prev Med. 2025 Dec 23:108246. PMID: 41448290
- McDowell A, Fung V, Bates DW, Foer D. Factors Associated with Completeness of Sex and Gender Fields in Electronic Health Records. LGBT Health. 2024 Aug 16. PMID: 39149787
- McDowell A, Raifman J, Progovac AM, Rose S. Association of Nondiscrimination Policies With Mental Health Among Gender Minority Individuals. JAMA Psychiatry. 2020 09 01; 77(9):952-958. PMID: 32374362
Other Web Presences
Department of Population Medicine