Shelley M. Brown

Shelley M. Brown is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Boston University's Sargent College, where she serves as Program Director and Director of International Service Learning and Community Engagement. Her interdisciplinary research bridges global health, women's health, and human rights with a specialized focus on perinatal mental health equity across diverse populations and settings.

Dr. Brown holds a PhD from the University of Massachusetts Boston, an MPH from Boston University, and a BA from Emory University. Her educational background informs her mixed-methods approach combining health systems analysis with qualitative research to address complex global health challenges.

Her research examines critical intersections of health equity and human rights, particularly:

• Implementation of perinatal mental health policies in South Africa
• Health system responses to intimate partner violence
• HIV care disparities among marginalized women in the Deep South
• Global mental health governance frameworks
• Translation of evidence-based policies in low-resource settings

Dr. Brown's scientific contributions are recognized through:

• Faculty Research Fellowship at BU Pardee Center for Global Studies (2019-2021)
• STEM Faculty Fellowship at BU Center for Teaching and Learning (2019-2020)
• Ongoing Fellowship at UMass Boston's Center for Peace, Democracy and Development

As director of Sargent's Service Learning Program since 2017, she has cultivated international partnerships while teaching core courses in global health, mental health, and health policy. Her work consistently centers on transforming research into actionable policy changes that advance health justice for vulnerable populations worldwide.