Health Disparities and Equity
Social Determinants of Health
Tess D. Weathers, MPH, is an epidemiologist and research associate in the Department of Community and Global Health. Since 2003, she has collaborated with many faculty, community organizations, and government agencies to advance health equity through public scholarship and contribution to collaborative research. She has conducted two influential analyses of life expectancy in the Indianapolis metropolitan area, drawing attention to large differences in lifespan by ZIP code. In her work, she focuses on the social drivers of health and in the disparities in health that often result. Prior to joining the school, she served as director of the IU Cancer Center's Clinical Research Office for several years. She was inducted to the Delta Omega National Honorary Society in Public Health in 2006.
The health of populations is strongly influenced by their social ecology, and many populations do not have a fair opportunity to achieve their best health due to vastly different conditions of daily life. Ms. Weathers' research has focused on advancing health equity through attention to the social & structural determinants of health.
