Victoria M. O'Keefe

Victoria M. O'Keefe is an Associate Professor and the Mathuram Santosham Chair in Native American Health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University. She is affiliated with the Department of International Health and the Center for Indigenous Health. Her research is centered on strengths-based, culturally informed suicide prevention and mental health promotion among Indigenous communities, particularly American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

• PhD, Oklahoma State University (2016)
• MS, Oklahoma State University (2012)
• BS, John Carroll University (2009)

Dr. O'Keefe’s research focuses on Indigenous mental health, suicide prevention, cultural resilience, and community-based participatory research. She integrates mixed methods and narrative approaches to develop culturally grounded tools and interventions. Her work emphasizes Indigenous knowledges, intergenerational connectedness, and structural equity. She is deeply committed to decolonizing research practices and centering community strengths.

Her recent publications highlight trends in strengths-based assessment, Indigenous public health storytelling, culturally adapted interventions, and the development of community-driven measures. Themes include youth suicide prevention, nutrition equity, trauma and discrimination, and the role of cultural identity in mental health resilience.

• National Institute of Mental Health "Women Leading Mental Health Research" (2023)
• John Carroll University Young Alumni Award (2023)
• Cherokee Nation Community Leadership Individual Award (2020)
• Psychologists in Public Service Wayfinder Award, APA Division 18 (2015)
• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship (2012–2015)

Dr. O’Keefe mentors students and leads grant-funded projects focused on Indigenous health equity, community-engaged research, and mental health intervention development. She teaches courses such as Indigenous Health and trains the next generation of public health scholars in ethical, culturally responsive methodologies. Her research is supported by federal and foundation grants, emphasizing collaboration and capacity building with tribal communities.

She is actively involved in the Center for Indigenous Health, where she collaborates on interdisciplinary teams to develop and evaluate public health programs. Her work includes narrative-based interventions, community-led measure development, and training Indigenous community health workers.