Leah Alexander

Leah Alexander, PhD, MPH, is an Associate Professor and Director of the MPH Program in the Division of Public Health Practice at Meharry Medical College's School of Graduate Studies and Research. Her work focuses on community-engaged public health initiatives addressing health disparities.

• Center Affiliations: Community Outreach & Engagement, Center for AIDS Health Disparities, Center for Women's Health Research, Center for the Study of Social Determinants of Health.
• Research Themes: HIV prevention, cancer disparities, behavioral health, and pandemic preparedness in African American and Black communities.

Her recent publications highlight implementation strategies for evidence-based programs in faith-based settings, tailored weight-loss interventions, and PrEP adoption in Tennessee. She utilizes frameworks like the Health Belief Model to address social determinants of health.

Dr. Alexander collaborates with federal programs including the Meharry-Vanderbilt-TSU Cancer Partnership and the Clinical & Translational Science Award (CTSA) initiative. Her methodological expertise includes community listening sessions, qualitative analysis, and interprofessional education partnerships.

Additional affiliations include core facilities like the Community Engagement Core and Meharrian research centers. She contributes to initiatives such as the NSF Innovation-Corps and environmental health campaigns like Dry January USA.