Jessica Harding

Jessica Harding is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Emory University. She holds a PhD in Medical Research (Epidemiology) from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia (2016), followed by a research fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017–2019). Her work focuses on chronic disease epidemiology, particularly diabetes and kidney disease, with an emphasis on population-level disparities and healthcare system challenges. At Emory, she contributes to the Transplant Health Services and Outcomes Research Program, addressing data quality and equity in kidney transplantation.

Dr. Harding’s research interests include diabetes epidemiology, kidney disease progression, and the intersection of socioeconomic factors with health outcomes. Her studies often explore disparities in healthcare access, such as racial and gender inequities in kidney transplant eligibility and outcomes. Recent work has analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diabetes detection and management, highlighting shifts in telehealth utilization and pandemic-related disruptions to routine care.

Her publications frequently address systemic barriers to transplant access, geographic variations in healthcare outcomes, and the role of gene-environment interactions in chronic diseases. She advocates for data harmonization and policy changes to improve equity in organ transplantation and chronic disease management.