Health equity scholar Darrell Hudson named Health Behavior and Health Education chair at the University of Michigan School of Public Health

Leading health equity researcher Darrell Hudson, MPH ‘05, PhD ‘09, has been named chair of the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. His appointment for a five-year term, effective August 26, 2024, was approved by the University of Michigan Board of Regents this week.

“Dr. Hudson has solidified his national reputation as a leading health equity scholar, making impactful research contributions through rigorous, interdisciplinary, and innovative scholarship,” said F. DuBois Bowman, dean of Michigan Public Health. “His research is timely and important as it investigates racial, ethnic and socioeconomic health inequities across mental and physical health outcomes.”

Hudson was selected after a competitive nationwide search, with significant input from the department. 

His scholarly work focuses on the social determinants of health and how social stressors can impact health outcomes for a wide range of diseases and can drive health inequities from birth and childhood through adulthood. He has authored more than 70 publications, and he and his colleagues have secured over $15 million in research grants and contracts, including from the National Institutes of Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ford Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, and Missouri Foundation for Health.

As a faculty member at Washington University in St. Louis since 2011, Hudson served as the director of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Equity, helped lead the university’s cluster hire recruitment initiatives and served on university-wide committees focused on equity. He served on the board of trustees for the St. Louis Mental Health Board and is a member of the board of directors for CareSTL, which provides essential health services to historically marginalized communities in St. Louis.

A Detroit native and graduate of Michigan Public Health, Hudson said he looks forward to returning to Michigan. 

“I am also excited about the opportunity to work with outstanding colleagues and incredible students who are passionate and highly capable,” he said. “It’s easy to take for granted how unique of a place Michigan is. It has this overall excellence, it’s a research powerhouse, and the faculty are outstanding while also very collegial. Having been a student here, I have a great appreciation for the contributions of HBHE faculty, historically and contemporary, and the training for MPH and doctoral students is outstanding. I’d like to continue that legacy.”

In August, the name of the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education will change to Health Behavior and Health Equity, reflecting the department’s longstanding commitment to and focus on equity. For Hudson, this could not be a better fit.

“My entire research agenda centers on equity,” he said. “I like to say that my ultimate goal is to put myself out of business. I want to completely eliminate racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities in health. And at this stage of my career, I believe that collective impact is the way to advance health equity. I believe that with colleagues, students, staff, alumni, and partners within HBHE, throughout the School of Public Health, and beyond, we will continue to make substantial strides toward equity.”

Hudson earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Morehouse College, then completed his MPH and PhD in Health Behavior and Health Education at Michigan Public Health. After his doctoral studies, he was a postdoctoral fellow with the Kellogg Health Scholar Program at the University of California at San Francisco and Berkeley. Prior to graduate school, he worked at the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the NIDA Intramural Research Program in Baltimore. 

Learn more about Hudson on We Are Michigan Public Health.

About the University of Michigan School of Public Health

Since 1941, the University of Michigan School of Public Health has been pursuing a healthier, more equitable world through education, research and action. Ranked among the top schools of public health in the country, Michigan Public Health trains more than 1,300 graduate and undergraduate students each year. With more than 190 faculty and researchers across six academic departments and numerous collaborative centers and institutes, the school produces impactful research aimed at finding lasting solutions to pressing public health challenges. Compassion, innovation and inclusion drive Michigan Public Health faculty, staff, students and more than 18,000 alumni worldwide to pursue positive change and make a lasting impact on the health of the world. Learn more at publichealth.umich.edu.