Michelle S. Williams, PhD, MSPH

Dr. Michelle S. Williams is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University. Dr. Williams’ research is focused on developing culturally appropriate health behavior interventions for cancer prevention and control that will lead to a reduction in cancer disparities. Since 2009, Dr. Williams has been conducting research in Ghana, West Africa that is focused on cervical cancer prevention.

Dr. Williams’ research interests include the cancer prevention behaviors, Community-Based Participatory Research, qualitative research, and the design and conduct of mix method studies.  She is currently working studies that are aimed at using different forms of  mhealth to reduce cancer disparities in the Deep South region of the US and in low- and middle-income countries. 

Dr. Williams is extremely passionate about public health and cancer prevention and control. She dedicates a lot of time to serving her community as a volunteer for community-based organizations. When she is not working, or volunteering, she enjoys weightlifting, kickboxing, and playing tennis. She loves to travel and learn about different cultures.

Research

• Williams, M. S., Poteat, T., Bender, M., Ugwu, P*., & Burns, P. A. (2022). Revitalizing HIV Prevention Programs: Recommendations From Those Most Impacted by HIV in the Deep South [Article]. American Journal of Health Promotion, 36(1), 155-164. https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171211041097
• Williams, M. S., Wells, J., Duhé, R. J., Shirley, T., Lampkin, A., Murphy, M., & Allen, T. C. (2021)The College of American Pathologists Foundation's See, Test & Treat Program®: an Evaluation of a One-Day Cancer Screening Program Implemented in Mississippi [Article]. Journal of Cancer Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-021-02060-9
• Williams, M. S., & Anyimukwu, C. (2020). The Association between Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge and Risk Factors among African American Breast Cancer Survivors in the Deep South. Journal of health disparities research and practice, 13(4), Article 7. https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/jhdrp/vol13/iss4/7
• Breskin, A., Edmonds, A., Cole, S. R., Westreich, D., Cocohoba, J., Cohen, M. H., Kassaye, S. G., Metsch, L. R., Sharma, A., Williams, M. S., & Adimora, A. A. (2020). G-computation for policy-relevant effects of interventions on time-to-event outcomes [Article]. International Journal of Epidemiology, 49(6), 2021-2029. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyaa156
• Williams, M. S., Beech, B. M., Griffith, D. M., & Jr. Thorpe, R. J. (2020). The Association between Hypertension and Race/Ethnicity among Breast Cancer Survivors [Article]. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 7(6), 1172-1177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00741-7
• Hohmann, N. S., McDaniel, C. C., Mason, S. W., Cheung, W. Y., Williams, M. S., Salvador, C., Graves, E. K., Camp, C. N., & Chou, C. (2020b). Patient perspectives on primary care and oncology care coordination in the context of multiple chronic conditions: A systematic review [Review]. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 16(8), 1003-1016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.11.014
• Williams, M. S., Young, C., McKinney, S., Simon Hawkins, O. S., Roberson, C., Udemgba, C., Rogers, D. B., Wells, J., Lake, D. A., Davis, D., Young, T., Donnell, D., & Herring, B. J. (2020). Making Breast Screening Convenient: a Community-Based Breast Screening Event During a Historically Black University’s Homecoming Festivities [Article]. Journal of Cancer Education, 35(4), 832-835. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-019-01600-8

Honors and Awards

• 2022      Winner, Multi-Media Materials, APHA Public Health Education and Health Promotion Materials Contest       American Public Health Association
• 2022      OSCAR Mentoring Excellence Award Nominee,  George Mason University
• 2021      Dr. Sharon Spencer Legacy Award           Cancer Awareness Network
• 2021      Online Teaching Excellence Award Nominee        George Mason University
• 2021      Kindness Ambassador    George Mason University
• 2019      Travel Award     The Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science
• 2017      Fellow   National Institutes of Health NHLBI Obesity Health Disparities PRIDE
• 2016      3rd Place, Postdoctoral Fellow Category UAB School of Public Health Research Day
• 2015      Volunteer of the Year    Susan G. Komen, North Central Alabama
• 2015      Career Enhancement Award       UAB Office of Postdoctoral Education
• 2013      First Prize, R. Davilene Carter Presidential Prize for Best Manuscript  International Cancer Education Conference
• 2013      Ireland Research Travel Award   University of Alabama at Birmingham
• 2013      Sparkman Global Health Fellow University of Alabama at Birmingham
• 2012      Travel Scholarship          International Conference on Health in the African Diaspora
• 2012      Second Place, Live Action PSA     Koronisfest National Public Service Announcement and Poster Competition
• 2011      Promising Scholar Fellowship UAB Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program
• 2011      Travel Scholarship American Association for Cancer Education International Cancer Education Conference
• 2010      Bronze Award   St. Jude's Cure4Kids eHealth Challenge
• 2010      Fulbright Award for Research     Fulbright U.S. Student Program
• 2010      Second Place Oral Presentation University of South Carolina Graduate Student Day Conference
• 2010      Academic Achievement Award   University of South Carolina Black Graduate Student Association
• 2009      Research Fellow National Institution of Health Minority Health International Research Training        Program
• 2009      Best Student Poster in Social Science      Carolina Women’s Health Research Forum
• 2008      Graduate Incentive Fellowship   University of South Carolina Graduate School
• 2001      Volunteer of the Year Award      Tallahassee March of Dimes Collegiate Council
• 2001      Outstanding Research Abstract Award TerraSeer Graduate Research Contest
• 2000      First Place Poster in Life Sciences The Florida Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance Student Research Expo
• 1996      Academic Scholarship    FAMU/BIONR Center for Advancing Students' Progression in the Biological Sciences

Affiliations

• Advisory Board Member - Cancer Awareness Network  
• Immediate Past President 2023 - American Association for Cancer Education
• Chairperson, Women’s Caucus - American Public Health Association 
• Survivorship Network Ambassador - American Cancer Society, Making Strides-Atlanta 
• Member - Society for Public Health Education
• Member - Society for the Analysis of African American Public Health Issues
• Member - American Association of Cancer Research
• Member - American Association for Cancer Education
• Member - American Public Health Association

Degrees

• Master of Science in Public Health, Health Outcomes Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Doctor of Philosophy, Health Education and Health Promotion, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Graduate Certificate, Global Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Graduate Certificate , Women and Gender Studies, University of South Carolina
• Graduate Certificate, Adult Education and Human Resource Management, Florida State University
• Master of Public Health, Environmental Health, Florida A&M University
• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Florida A&M University
• FAACE