MSS News and Announcements

A new National Cancer Institute (NCI) R37 MERIT Award will support an innovative clinical trial led by Alexandra Psihogios, PhD, at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) and Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences and the University of Botswana Department of Psychology have received a three-year R34 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to support a new suicide prevention initiative for youth in Botswana.

Feinberg students, trainees, faculty and members from partner institutions shared research on interventions and policies aimed at advancing equitable healthcare on Oct. 14.

A new commentary, “Data-Driven Implementation Trials: Realizing Their Full Potential in Achieving the Promise of Learning Health Systems,” has been published in Learning Health Systems.

The Positive Psychology and Health Investigations Group (PPHIG) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences has received a generous $140,000 gift from The IV Fund, making it possible to transform the lab’s proven positive emotion skills program into a mobile app to be developed by DerShung Yang, PhD of BrightOutcome Inc.

Patients with newly diagnosed glaucoma who have less wealth or reside in rural communities are less likely to receive standard glaucoma care compared to wealthier patients, according to a recent multi-institution study published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences is proud to announce a transformative partnership with the Rekhi Foundation for Happiness to expand access to evidence-based emotional well-being programs.

Two chronic pain treatments based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — telehealth coaching and online self-completed pain coping skills training — improved pain severity and quality of life compared to usual care in patients with high-impact chronic pain, according to a recent study published in JAMA.

A cardiovascular disease risk prediction tool developed by Northwestern Medicine scientists may also be effective for identifying which patients most benefit from statin therapy, according to a recent study published in JAMA Cardiology.

MSS Announces Faculty Promotions for 2025

Kelli Scott, PhD and Sara Becker, PhD, faculty members in Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science, the Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS), and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences received a subcontract from the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Chan Medical School to serve as a key strategic partner on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-funded New England Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC).

Ado Rivera, PhD and the team at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) received a grant from the American Heart Association titled: "Mixed Methods Study on Impact and Implementation of Social Needs Screening and Referral on Hypertension Outcomes."

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences is proud to celebrate a banner year for Professor Dan Mroczek, PhD, Division Chief of Determinants of Health, whose extraordinary contributions to personality research and mentorship have been recognized with three major honors—all within the span of six remarkable days.

New Methodological Training Institute Empowers Researchers to Visualize Health Data with Impact

Northwestern's Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute unveils new service to support researchers in reaching and retaining study populations.

A new risk prediction tool developed by the American Heart Association (AHA) estimated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in a diverse patient cohort more accurately than current models, according to a recent study published in Nature Medicine.

A new study published in Science Advances is the first to use consumer wearables to quickly and precisely predict postoperative complications in children and shows potential for facilitating faster treatment and care.

We are proud to celebrate Dr. Jennifer Hoffmann, MD, MS, Assistant Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics (Emergency Medicine) and Medical Social Sciences, for being selected as a 2025 Fellow of the Implementation Research Institute (IRI)—a national, NIH-funded training program widely regarded as a cornerstone in the field of implementation science.

Please join us in congratulating Eileen Graham, PhD, on being selected to the 2025–2026 Northwestern University LEAP (Leadership Education for Advancement and Promotion) cohort! This prestigious opportunity recognizes Graham’s dedication to leadership development and her commitment to advancing team science and collaboration.

We are proud to celebrate Juan Pablo Zapata, PhD, Research Assistant Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences, for being selected as a 2025 Fellow of the Implementation Research Institute (IRI)—one of the most prestigious and comprehensive training programs in the field of implementation science. T

Emily H. Ho, PhD, has been named to the 2025–2026 cohort of Northwestern University’s Leadership Education Advancement Program (NU-LEAP), a prestigious initiative designed to support emerging leaders among early and mid-career faculty at Feinberg School of Medicine.

Faculty, staff, students and trainees celebrated global health, education and outreach during the 6th annual Global Health Education Day organized by the Center for Global Health Education.

In April 2025, Emily H. Ho, PhD and the team at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) received a grant through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program Office to conduct a study to assess the reliability and validity of the NIH Toolbox Participant/Examiner V3 App.

We are beyond thrilled to celebrate Isabel Rooper, BA, Research Coordinator at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences in the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, as the recipient of this year’s “Up and Coming” Award from the Optimization of Behavioral and Biobehavioral Interventions (OBBI) Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Society of Behavioral Medicine

Patricia Lee King, PhD, and team at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences received a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to collaborate with University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to implement activities of the State Maternal Health Innovation (State MHI) Program.

A recent Northwestern Medicine study published in JAMA has found that one in seven U.S. adults between the ages of 30 and 59 years have a high 30-year risk for cardiovascular disease.

Meet our MSS Staff Member of the Month: Jessica Custer, BS, Program Assistant III

Northwestern University's Lab for Scalable Mental Health and Koko partner with the State of Montana, Frontier Psychiatry, and Montana Pediatrics to address the youth mental health crisis.

On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 50 national experts gathered at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine to discuss advancing the care and outcomes for adults living with arthritis.

Students, faculty, staff and public health leaders joined Northwestern University’s Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM) for the institute’s annual Public Health Summit at the Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center on April 2.