Liz Chen

Liz Chen, PhD, MPH, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She also serves as the MPH Concentration Lead for Health Behavior and Design Thinking Lead for Innovate Carolina, UNC’s innovation hub. Her work bridges adolescent health, technology, and design thinking, focusing on integrating human-centered design into public health practice and education. Dr. Chen co-founded MyHealthEd, Inc., which developed the Real Talk app—a crowdsourced storytelling platform for teens—recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 (2018) for its social impact.

Education:

• PhD in Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health (2019)
• MPH in Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health (2014)
• BA in Anthropology, Princeton University (2010)

Research interests emphasize leveraging design thinking to co-create equitable health interventions. Key projects include collaborating with the Food, Fitness and Opportunity Research Collaborative (FFORC) on SNAP beneficiary interventions, and the UNC TEACCH Autism Program to develop resources for Black families with autistic children. Internationally, she co-developed the Social Innovation For Health Research (SIFHR) Checklist and led a global review of designathons in healthcare.

Her teaching includes courses like HBEH 748 (Design Thinking for Public Good) and HBEH 772 (Health Behavior Intervention Design). She advocates for decolonizing education and co-leads the Gillings AAPI Support Pod. Dr. Chen’s service roles include the myFutureNC commission, shaping North Carolina’s postsecondary education strategy.

Notable grants include a multi-year federal evaluation grant for Real Talk’s efficacy. Her awards highlight innovation, including recognition for social entrepreneurship.