Dr. Joni Wiliams, director of the Center for Advancing Population Science at the Wauwatosa-based Medical College of Wisconsin, is leading the charge researching how to lessen the impacts of health disparities based on race and socioeconomic class and make Milwaukee communities healthier, according to Ann Nattinger, associate provost for research at MCW.
“Williams’ research focuses on social-medical integration at the intersections of race, socioeconomic status, sex and gender, and geographic location to reduce health inequities associated with sociocultural and structural determinants of health. Her research is driven by principles of health equity, and she is particularly passionate about social justice in health and health promotion,” Nattinger said.
“Recently, she studied a new approach called TIDES (Technology-Intensified Diabetes Education and Skills training) to help African Americans better manage type 2 diabetes and understand how structural racism in the form of historic redlining impacts health outcomes,” Nattinger added.
As director of CAPS, Williams guides researchers who are working to improve health outcomes in communities, with a special focus on making health care more equitable.
