Melissa Harrell

Dr. Melissa Harrell is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, based at the Austin campus. Her work focuses on behavioral epidemiology, particularly tobacco use among youth and young adults, with global health applications in countries like Uruguay, India, and Africa.

• BS in Biology from College of William & Mary (1991)
• MPH (1999) and PhD (2002) from University of Minnesota School of Public Health

Dr. Harrell has served as Senior Writer and Editor for multiple Surgeon General’s Reports and Institute of Medicine Reports, and has secured over $30 million in federal grant funding from NIH and CDC as principal investigator for 11 projects. Her research spans behavioral surveillance, intervention studies, and public health policy, with a strong emphasis on mentoring trainees and students through collaborative publications.

She holds concurrent appointments in the Departments of Human Genetics, Environmental Sciences, and Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, reflecting her interdisciplinary expertise.