Fellows in this national leadership program are researchers and community partners working together in three-person teams.
Some are advancing existing projects; others represent new and unexpected collaborations that bring many perspectives to a critical issue. All are using the power of applied research, done in collaboration with the community and applied in real-time, to create change.
Their work strengthens communities and advances a Culture of Health—one that enables everyone in America to live longer, healthier lives.
Over the course of the program, our fellows build their leadership skills and collaborate across sectors and disciplines. They gain a wealth of new information, perspectives and experiences that leave them feeling refreshed and inspired, with skills to apply immediately in their work. For the community partners, that means customized research and additional resources to support the work they are already doing. For the researchers, it’s an opportunity to make a more immediate and informed impact on their community. And with accompanying funding for fellows’ current work—or a new project they’ve dreamed of pursuing—the entire community benefits.
Each annual class of fellows addresses a theme or related pair of themes in their leadership training and project work. The cohort applying March-May 2022 (to begin in fall 2022) will focus on dismantling structural racism. Learn more about the 2022 theme here.
Within these themes, the Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Fellows help build bridges between valuable research and the communities that need it most. Representing many disciplines and backgrounds, they are able to consider all the factors that impact health—education, neighborhoods, transportation, income, faith and more.
Alumni of this program carry the unique distinction of being a graduate of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation leadership program and become part of a tightly knit network of visionary change agents. Together they will advance a Culture of Health by defining a new style of leadership that places collaboration, innovation and a keen focus on health at the heart of their work—no matter what their research field or community position may be.
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Interdisciplinary Research Leaders
Taking bold steps to change the status quo
Meet current Interdisciplinary Research Leaders fellows who are collaborating to advance health and equity across the country. These fellows are spearheading innovative, sector-spanning work and taking bold steps to disrupt the status quo in their communities.
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Health Care, Colorado
A NEW VISION FOR HEALTH CARE
Centering the Leadership and Expertise of Immigrants to Address Social and Structural Barriers to Health in Fort Morgan, Colorado
- Maria de Jesus Diaz-Perez, PhD, Director, Public Reporting at the Center for Improving Value in Health Care
- Karen Albright, PhD, MSW, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology & Criminology
at the University of Denver; Affiliated Investigator, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus - Joe Sammen, MPH, Executive Director, Center for Health Progress
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Youth Violence Prevention, California
PREVENTING YOUTH VIOLENCE AND PROMOTING HEALTH
Addressing Upstream Factors That Promote Youth Violence
- Kristine Madsen, MD, Associate Professor, University of California Berkeley
- Phillip W. Graham, MPH, DrPH, Director, Center for Justice, Safety and Resilience, RTI International
- Regina Jackson, President and CEO, East Oakland Youth Development Center
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Food Systems, Hawai’i
MALAMA
Rebuilding Indigenous Food Systems in Rural Native Hawaiian Communities through Backyard Aquaponics
- Jane Chung-Do, DrPH, MPH, Associate Professor, University of Hawai‘i Office of Public Health Studies in the Social and Behavior Health Sciences
- Ilima Ho-Lastimosa, MSW, Community Coordinator, Waimanalo Learning Center; Director of Operations, Godʻs Country Waimanalo
- Ted Radovich, PhD, Principle Investigator of the sustainable and organic farming systems laboratory, University of Hawai’i
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Addiction Treatment, Arkansas
Regional Expansion of Treatment for Addiction in Corrections via Telehealth: Project REACH
Expanding Access to Evidence-Based Telehealth Behavioral Health Care
- Ben Udochi, MHR, Assistant Director Probation and Parole Treatment Services, Arkansas Community Correction
- Femina P. Varghese, PhD, Associate Professor and the Director of Training of the PhD Counseling Psychology Program, University of Central Arkansas
- Nickolas Zaller, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health
- Ben Udochi, MHR, Assistant Director Probation and Parole Treatment Services, Arkansas Community Correction
- Our partners include:
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LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS AT THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION
Interdisciplinary Research Leaders is just one of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s leadership programs offering high-level training and funding for people interested in applying their expertise—no matter what discipline—to help make our country healthier and more equitable.
CULTURE OF HEALTH LEADERS
Collaborate. Innovate. Transform Communities.
Individuals working in every field and profession receive $20,000 per year to advance a Culture of Health—one that enables everyone in America to live longer, healthier lives.
www.cultureofhealth-leaders.org
HEALTH POLICY RESEARCH SCHOLARS
Apply Your PhD Research to Build Healthier Communities
Supported by an annual $30,000 stipend, second-year full-time doctoral students from historically marginalized backgrounds who can describe how their background, identity, or lived experiences have positioned them to apply their research to build healthier, more equitable communities and diversify the field of future leaders.
www.healthpolicyresearch-scholars.org