I am a scientist tackling critical public health challenges through a behavioral and social lens, with expertise in vaccine uptake, illness prevention, organ donation, and healthcare management. My research explores how social determinants drive actionable improvements through large-scale digital health conversations, public health campaigns, and interventions, reflected in 60+ peer-reviewed publications, 90+ conference presentations, and over $1.6M in research funding. As Associate Dean of Research at the University of Alabama’s College of Communication and Information Sciences, I oversee a $2M funding portfolio supporting 114 faculty, labs, research facilities and demonstrate cost savings through a review of resources; and promotion of the organizational brand. Through leadership, I’ve increased grant submissions by 162%, expanded funded awards, and launched initiatives such as the Research Committee and Plot Funding Program to elevate the college’s research profile and enhance grant opportunities.Key examples of how my work advances public health:* 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀: Analyzed 85,000+ subreddit posts, revealing how societal events influenced health discussions among 144,000+ participants.* 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀: Identified strategies to reduce stigma and boost engagement across 326,000+ tweets from national and international mental health organizations, generating over 5.8M interactions.* 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Demonstrated how micro- and mega-influencers uniquely build trust and drive reach in branding, with micro-influencers evolving into mega-influencer roles.* 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁: Synthesized insights from 292 studies, highlighting opportunities for computational methods to advance public health interventions.