Yesenia Merino

Yesenia Merino, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. With over 25 years of public health experience, her work focuses on structural determinants of health, health equity, and professional development of health professionals. She specializes in integrating AI solutions into public health practice and education to address systemic inequities.

Merino holds a PhD in Health Behavior from UNC Gillings (2019), an MPH from Emory University (2013), and a BS in Biology from George Mason University (2002). Her research explores implicit bias in healthcare, LGBTQ+ health, and community engagement in sexual health initiatives. She co-founded the Equity Collective, a student-led initiative promoting equity in academic departments, and was inducted into the Frank Porter Graham Honor Society for her advocacy for first-generation students.

Her research spans topics like HIV prevention among Latino MSM, healthcare access barriers for immigrant youth, and institutional racism in public health funding. Merino’s recent work emphasizes curriculum reform to address bias and inequities in training future health professionals.

Key areas of impact include:

• Developing AI-driven tools for equitable health interventions
• Mentoring underserved student populations
• Advocating for structural changes in public health education
• Addressing implicit bias in healthcare delivery

Her interdisciplinary approach bridges community engagement, policy analysis, and technological innovation to advance health equity globally.