Faustine Williams, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S.

Improving mental health outcomes is essential for enhancing national productivity, reducing healthcare costs, and improving overall quality of life. My research program seeks to advance understanding of the complex factors that influence mental health—particularly anxiety, depression, and psychological distress—and their interactions with chronic diseases and overall well-being among diverse populations in the United States. The overarching goal is to generate robust evidence to inform the development and implementation of effective strategies that strengthen mental health and reduce preventable suffering. Specifically, my research aims to:

1. Identify social, behavioral, and environmental risk factors associated with poor mental health;
2. Examine the interrelationships between mental health, chronic physical conditions, and protective factors that foster resilience and well-being;
3. Assess key mediators and moderators that shape mental health outcomes over time; and
4. Design, implement, and evaluate targeted interventions to prevent and reduce poor mental health outcomes. My work falls under three key domains:
   1. Population Health
   2. Psychosocial Health
   3. Health Disparities

Faustine Williams, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S., is a Stadtman Investigator at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). Before joining NIMHD in 2018, Dr. Williams was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Services Management and Policy at East Tennessee State University. In 2017, she was selected to participate in the NIH Future Research Leaders Conference and was subsequently recruited as a Stadtman Investigator. She completed her postdoctoral training in Transdisciplinary Research in Energetics and Cancer at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where she later served as a Staff Scientist and led the Breast Cancer Disparities Working Group at the Brown School Social System Design Lab, focusing on psychosocial health and breast cancer. Dr. Williams is deeply committed to applying her broad transdisciplinary expertise to improve the psychosocial health and well-being of diverse populations in the United States.