Imari Smith
Medical Sociologist | Data-Driven Science | Health Equity | Patient Access
- Role
- Health Services Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Durham Va Health Care System
- Location
- Durham, NC, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Imari Smith
Briefly: Health Equity Researcher with training in quantitative and qualitative methods using data to understand and address health outcomes, health inequities, patient access, and unmet needs.More about me: Data- and people-driven health equity researcher with strong quantitative and qualitative analytic skills. Nine years of experience leveraging research design, data collection and analysis, and insight dissemination (e.g, peer-reviewed journals, presentations, and brief reports) skills. Background includes patient-reported outcomes and health services data analytics, survey design and implementation, translation, transcreation, instruction, qualitative interviews, and project management. Proven track record in translating complex health services and patient-reported data into strategic recommendations. Skilled in survey design, statistical modeling (regression, SEM, CFA, LCA), and stakeholder collaboration. Strong foundation in public health, health equity, and project management with hands-on experience in pharma business insights and health equity programming.I study how social identity and barriers related to health program participation shape individuals’ health outcomes, access to healthcare, and approaches to doctor-patient interactions across social groups. I earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in 2018 and obtained a Ph.D. in Sociology and Public Policy from Duke University in September of 2024. Broadly, I am a medical sociologist who employs both qualitative and quantitative methods to understand how intersecting systems of inequality and structural factors shape health and public policy. My work is motivated by the ultimate aim to address structural and social barriers that yield unequal access to health-protective resources and further maintain health inequities. I have interdisciplinary training across the humanities and social sciences, and my published works span health, housing, and economics subject areas. Notably, the common threads are my interests in social equity and the social determinants of health. I have experience working on projects related to maternal-child health, decision-making, housing, psychosocial resources, the social determinants of health, discrimination, and the wealth gap.
Experience
Health Services Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Aug 2024 — Present · Durham, NC, US
As a fellow with the Durham VA Health Care System, I develop and publish peer-reviewed academic papers and internal insight reports to inform future health care initiatives for the veteran population. I also analyze internal patient-level data with interdisciplinary teams to guide policy and practice in newly developed patient initiatives.Examples of my collaborative team-based research include barriers to cancer treatment among Veterans with breast and gynecological cancers (EHR data), and drivers of nursing home entry among aging Veterans (claims data).
Education
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Master of Public Health (MPH), Behavioral Aspects of Health
2016 — 2018
Duke University
Master of Arts - MA, Sociology
2022
Duke University
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Women's Studies
2012 — 2016
Duke University
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Sociology and Public Policy
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