David Nelson

David Nelson, PhD, MS, is a Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he also directs the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program. With 17 years as faculty, he develops policy and systems solutions for health equity through community-engaged research. His educational background includes degrees from the University of Illinois, University of Northern Colorado, University of Tennessee Knoxville, and the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Dr. Nelson's research focuses on:

• Health equity and social determinants of health
• Community-based participatory interventions
• Public health policy translation
• Mental healthcare access disparities
• Homelessness prevention strategies

He leads institutional initiatives to embed community engagement across MCW and co-founded StreetLife Communities, addressing homelessness through housing-first approaches.

His recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate expertise in qualitative methods, systems change frameworks, and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Key themes include mental health access for marginalized groups, environmental health interventions, farmer wellbeing, and community-engaged healthcare models. He actively mentors graduate students and medical learners in public health scholarship.