Julian L. Gallegos

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT JULIAN L. GALLEGOS

As an Assistant Professor and Assistant Head of Graduate Programs at Purdue University School of Nursing, I lead with a singular mission: to advance men’s health through clinical practice, research, and policy-informed leadership. With more than two decades of nursing experience across military and civilian settings, I bring a health equity lens that prioritizes underserved male populations—especially firefighters, first responders, and veterans.A defining milestone in my career has been helping achieve formal recognition of Men’s Health Nursing as a specialty within nursing—a historic step that strengthens the profession’s ability to address the unique needs, behaviors, and barriers that shape men’s health outcomes. This work reflects my commitment to building the structures that make evidence-based men’s health care visible, measurable, and scalable.My research is grounded in the MANifest Health Theory, which I developed to examine how masculinity norms and profession-specific identity influence health behaviors and health care engagement. I focus specifically on the mental and physical health of male firefighters—a population with elevated risk for post-traumatic stress, cardiovascular disease, and delayed help-seeking. My goal is to design practical, culturally resonant, nurse-led interventions that reduce stigma, improve access, and save lives.Clinically, I practice as a men’s health nurse practitioner at North Central Nursing Clinics, delivering care in rural Indiana. Nationally, I serve on the Boards of the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Association for Men in Nursing, and advise Men’s Health Network and Healthy Men, Inc, helping shape clinical, educational, and policy strategies that close persistent gender gaps in health outcomes.I am a published author and frequent national speaker, and a Fellow of the Academy of Urological Nurses and Associates and the Luther Christman Society. But I measure success by impact: elevating the next generation of nurse leaders while advocating for those who too often suffer in silence.Let’s connect if you’re working in men’s health, firefighter wellness, veteran health, or want to collaborate on equity-driven research and care models.