Ward, Melissa
- Assistant Professor, Epidemiology , Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work

Overview
overview
- Melissa Ward, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work at Florida International University. A social epidemiologist by training, her research interests include disparities in access to substance use treatment and women’s health. Dr. Ward has extensive experience in health equity research and program management, and has provided technical support for numerous projects sponsored by federal and international agencies. In addition to her research activities, she coordinates and manages the Research Infrastructure Core for FIU’s Research Center in Minority Institutions (FIU-RCMI). In 2019, Dr. Ward was awarded an FIU-RCMI pilot grant for a mixed-methods research project examining barriers to treatment for women with opioid use disorder. From 2016-2017, Dr. Ward participated in the inaugural cohort of FIU’s Presidential Leadership Program. She has worked at FIU since 2013; prior to joining the FIU-RCMI team in 2018, she worked as a Research Analyst and Medical Simulation Manager in the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Prior to coming to FIU, Dr. Ward worked in the Department of Health Policy at George Washington University (GW) coordinating monitoring and evaluation of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative, a $130 million international health program in 12 African countries administered by the Department of State, HRSA, and NIH. Dr. Ward also completed a GW Global Health Service Fellowship in the Public Health Information and GIS Unit at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
research interests
- Women's Health, Opioid Use Disorder, HIV, Social Epidemiology, Health Disparities
Scholarly & Creative Works
selected publications
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Article
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2022Virtual town halls addressing vaccine hesitancy among racial/ethnic minorities: Preliminary findingsFull Text via DOI: 10.1016/j.japh.2021.11.005 Web of Science: 000754049200051
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2019Role of empathy in the perception of medical errors in patient encounters: a preliminary studyFull Text via DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4365-2 Web of Science: 000471235200004
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2016Furthering the Validity of a Tool to Assess Simulated Pregnancy Options Counseling SkillsFull Text via DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000001624 Web of Science: 000398933100004
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2014Physician tracking in sub-Saharan Africa: current initiatives and opportunitiesFull Text via DOI: 10.1186/1478-4491-12-21 Web of Science: 000335187200001
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Book Chapter
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Conference
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2020Provider Perceptions of Barriers to Care for Women With HIV. 113-114.Full Text via DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.08.052
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2018COMPARATIVE ACCURACY OF SHORT PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE BATTERY VS. TIME UP AND GO: FALL SCREENING IMPLICATIONS. 516-516.Full Text via DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.1912
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2018Stroke Outcomes In Sickle Cell Patients: From Children To Adults. 16-17.Full Text via DOI: 10.1016/j.avsg.2017.11.027
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Letter
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2018MeToo and TimesUp in Academic Medicine: Research About Sexual Harassment Must Include Staff. 1099-1099.Full Text via DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000002278 Web of Science: 000439699000003
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Other Scholarly Work
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Review
Research
subproject principal investigator on
Contact
full name
- Melissa Ward
Identifiers
ORCID iD
- https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9296-981X (confirmed)
visualizations
publication subject areas
- Biomedical Social Sciences
- Business & Economics
- Demography
- Education & Educational Research
- General & Internal Medicine
- Health Care Sciences & Services
- Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
- Research & Experimental Medicine
- Science & Technology - Other Topics
- Substance Abuse