Associate Professor, Global and Community Health
Contact Information
Personal Websites
In the News
- August 9, 2024
- August 9, 2024
- August 6, 2024
- November 8, 2023
- May 5, 2023
Biography
Dr. Michelle S. Williams is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University. Dr. Williams’ research is focused on developing culturally appropriate health behavior interventions for cancer prevention and control that will lead to a reduction in cancer disparities. Since 2009, Dr. Williams has been conducting research in Ghana, West Africa that is focused on cervical cancer prevention.
Dr. Williams’ research interests include the cancer prevention behaviors, Community-Based Participatory Research, qualitative research, and the design and conduct of mix method studies. She is currently working studies that are aimed at using different forms of mhealth to reduce cancer disparities in the Deep South region of the US and in low- and middle-income countries.
Dr. Williams is extremely passionate about public health and cancer prevention and control. She dedicates a lot of time to serving her community as a volunteer for community-based organizations. When she is not working, or volunteering, she enjoys weightlifting, kickboxing, and playing tennis. She loves to travel and learn about different cultures.
Research
- Williams, M. S., Poteat, T., Bender, M., Ugwu, P*., & Burns, P. A. (2022). Revitalizing HIV Prevention Programs: Recommendations From Those Most Impacted by HIV in the Deep South [Article]. American Journal of Health Promotion, 36(1), 155-164. https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171211041097
- Williams, M. S., Wells, J., Duhé, R. J., Shirley, T., Lampkin, A., Murphy, M., & Allen, T. C. (2021)The College of American Pathologists Foundation's See, Test & Treat Program®: an Evaluation of a One-Day Cancer Screening Program Implemented in Mississippi [Article]. Journal of Cancer Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-021-02060-9
- Williams, M. S., & Anyimukwu, C. (2020). The Association between Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge and Risk Factors among African American Breast Cancer Survivors in the Deep South. Journal of health disparities research and practice, 13(4), Article 7. https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/jhdrp/vol13/iss4/7
- Breskin, A., Edmonds, A., Cole, S. R., Westreich, D., Cocohoba, J., Cohen, M. H., Kassaye, S. G., Metsch, L. R., Sharma, A., Williams, M. S., & Adimora, A. A. (2020). G-computation for policy-relevant effects of interventions on time-to-event outcomes [Article]. International Journal of Epidemiology, 49(6), 2021-2029. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyaa156
- Williams, M. S., Beech, B. M., Griffith, D. M., & Jr. Thorpe, R. J. (2020). The Association between Hypertension and Race/Ethnicity among Breast Cancer Survivors [Article]. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 7(6), 1172-1177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00741-7
- Hohmann, N. S., McDaniel, C. C., Mason, S. W., Cheung, W. Y., Williams, M. S., Salvador, C., Graves, E. K., Camp, C. N., & Chou, C. (2020b). Patient perspectives on primary care and oncology care coordination in the context of multiple chronic conditions: A systematic review [Review]. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 16(8), 1003-1016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.11.014
- Williams, M. S., Young, C., McKinney, S., Simon Hawkins, O. S., Roberson, C., Udemgba, C., Rogers, D. B., Wells, J., Lake, D. A., Davis, D., Young, T., Donnell, D., & Herring, B. J. (2020). Making Breast Screening Convenient: a Community-Based Breast Screening Event During a Historically Black University’s Homecoming Festivities [Article]. Journal of Cancer Education, 35(4), 832-835. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-019-01600-8
Honors and Awards
- 2022 Winner, Multi-Media Materials, APHA Public Health Education and Health Promotion Materials Contest American Public Health Association
- 2022 OSCAR Mentoring Excellence Award Nominee, George Mason University
- 2021 Dr. Sharon Spencer Legacy Award Cancer Awareness Network
- 2021 Online Teaching Excellence Award Nominee George Mason University
- 2021 Kindness Ambassador George Mason University
- 2019 Travel Award The Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science
- 2017 Fellow National Institutes of Health NHLBI Obesity Health Disparities PRIDE
- 2016 3rd Place, Postdoctoral Fellow Category UAB School of Public Health Research Day
- 2015 Volunteer of the Year Susan G. Komen, North Central Alabama
- 2015 Career Enhancement Award UAB Office of Postdoctoral Education
- 2013 First Prize, R. Davilene Carter Presidential Prize for Best Manuscript International Cancer Education Conference
- 2013 Ireland Research Travel Award University of Alabama at Birmingham
- 2013 Sparkman Global Health Fellow University of Alabama at Birmingham
- 2012 Travel Scholarship International Conference on Health in the African Diaspora
- 2012 Second Place, Live Action PSA Koronisfest National Public Service Announcement and Poster Competition
- 2011 Promising Scholar Fellowship UAB Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program
- 2011 Travel Scholarship American Association for Cancer Education International Cancer Education Conference
- 2010 Bronze Award St. Jude's Cure4Kids eHealth Challenge
- 2010 Fulbright Award for Research Fulbright U.S. Student Program
- 2010 Second Place Oral Presentation University of South Carolina Graduate Student Day Conference
- 2010 Academic Achievement Award University of South Carolina Black Graduate Student Association
- 2009 Research Fellow National Institution of Health Minority Health International Research Training Program
- 2009 Best Student Poster in Social Science Carolina Women’s Health Research Forum
- 2008 Graduate Incentive Fellowship University of South Carolina Graduate School
- 2001 Volunteer of the Year Award Tallahassee March of Dimes Collegiate Council
- 2001 Outstanding Research Abstract Award TerraSeer Graduate Research Contest
- 2000 First Place Poster in Life Sciences The Florida Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance Student Research Expo
- 1996 Academic Scholarship FAMU/BIONR Center for Advancing Students' Progression in the Biological Sciences
Affiliations
- Advisory Board Member - Cancer Awareness Network
- Immediate Past President 2023 - American Association for Cancer Education
- Chairperson, Women’s Caucus - American Public Health Association
- Survivorship Network Ambassador - American Cancer Society, Making Strides-Atlanta
- Member - Society for Public Health Education
- Member - Society for the Analysis of African American Public Health Issues
- Member - American Association of Cancer Research
- Member - American Association for Cancer Education
- Member - American Public Health Association
Degrees
- Master of Science in Public Health, Health Outcomes Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Doctor of Philosophy, Health Education and Health Promotion, University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Graduate Certificate, Global Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Graduate Certificate , Women and Gender Studies, University of South Carolina
- Graduate Certificate, Adult Education and Human Resource Management, Florida State University
- Master of Public Health, Environmental Health, Florida A&M University
- Bachelor of Science, Biology, Florida A&M University
- FAACE