Sonita Simelus

Sonita Simelus is an Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Public Health, specializing in health disparities and racial health equity. She teaches courses on public health principles, global health systems, and program evaluation.

Education:

• Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) – Mercer University, 2025
• Doctor of Medicine (MD) – Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago, 2008
• Master of Public Health (MPH) – University of Missouri-Columbia, 2016

Research Focus: Dr. Simelus investigates social determinants of health and health promotion strategies for marginalized populations. Her work emphasizes health literacy, equity in vaccine uptake, and structural inequities affecting child outcomes in kinship care systems.

Publication Trends: Recent articles analyze interventions for reducing vaccine hesitancy in Black communities and the psychological impacts of kinship caregiving arrangements. Keywords span public health policy, health equity, and social determinants of health.

Awards:

• Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), 2021

Teaching: She instructs undergraduate and graduate students in core public health curricula, including capstone projects on emerging health issues.