Leah Frerichs

Dr. Leah Frerichs is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research focuses on systems science, community collaboration, and interventions to address health disparities in underserved populations, particularly in rural communities and Indigenous populations. She has published over 85 peer-reviewed articles and led federally funded projects on topics such as cancer screening, youth mental health, and healthcare access. Dr. Frerichs teaches graduate courses in research methods and has been recognized with awards including the UNC Provost Award for Engaged Research (2025) and the Gillings School Research Excellence Award (2024).

Education:

• BS in Community Health Education, Iowa State University (2003)
• MS in Community and Behavioral Health, University of Iowa (2005)
• PhD in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, University of Nebraska Medical Center (2014)

Research Interests:

• Participatory systems thinking and simulation modeling
• Technology-driven health interventions
• Health equity in Indigenous and rural communities
• Community-based participatory research (CBPR)
• Policy analysis and structural inequities

Awards:

• UNC Provost Award for Engaged Research (2025)
• Gillings School Research Excellence Award (2024)

Grants & Projects:

• Federally funded projects on colorectal cancer screening, youth workforce development, and Indigenous health disparities
• Principal investigator for NIH-funded studies on systems science and community engagement

Labs/Teams: Active in interdisciplinary collaborations through the Gillings Innovation Labs, focusing on translating research into actionable public health strategies.