Melody Goodman

Dean, School of Global Public Health

Professor of Biostatistics

Professional overview

Dr. Melody S. Goodman is a biostatistician and research methodologist. Her work is anchored upon moving beyond defining problems and focuses on developing solutions using partner-engaged research approaches. Dr. Goodman’s research efforts seek to develop a more rigorous understanding of the social risk factors contributing to urban health outcomes. Her work aims to develop solutions for improving health in high-risk populations. She conducts translational research that bridges the gap between research and practice. Through rigorous attention to study design, measurement, and the use of cutting-edge statistical analysis methods, her contributions have spanned the areas of prevention, treatment, intervention, and policy.

Dr. Goodman led the team that developed and comprehensively evaluated the Research Engagement Survey Tool, a quantitative survey measure to assess the level of partner engagement in research studies from the non-academic partner perspective. With numerous funders supporting her work (e.g., National Institutes of Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Verizon Foundation, Long Island Community Foundation, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and Susan G. Komen), she has published over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and two books (2018 Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group): 1) Public Health Research Methods for Partnerships and Practice and 2) Biostatistics for Clinical and Public Health Research, which now has a second edition (2026 Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group). She is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, New York Academy of Medicine, and the inaugural recipient of the Societal Impact Award from the Caucus for Women in Statistics.

Education

BS, Economics and Applied Mathematics & Statistics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY

MS, Biostatistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

PhD, Biostatistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Honors and awards

Fellow, American Statistical Association (2021)

Societal Impact Award, Caucus for Women in Statistics (2021)

Network Builder Award, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Connections (2019)

Siteman Cancer Center “Rock Doc” (2013)

Satcher Health Leadership Institute - Morehouse School of Medicine, Community Health Leadership Institute Intensive Cohort II (2013)

Women of the Year - Health, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. - Suffolk Chapter (2010)

President’s Award for Teaching Excellence - Stony Brook University (2009)

President’s Award for Excellence in Team Achievement - Stony Brook University (2008)

Areas of research and study

Biostatistics

Community Health

Community-based Participatory Research

Dissemination and Implementation of Evidence-based Programs

Quantitative Research

Publications

Publications

National and Regional Trends in Police Pursuit Fatalities in the US

Racial and Ethnic Composition of Departments of Health Policy & Management and Health Education & Behavioral Sciences

Racial Composition of Past and Current Social Environments and Health Literacy

Racial Composition of Social Environments Over the Life Course Using the Pictorial Racial Composition Measure: Development and Validation Study

Racial segregation and genomics-related knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived importance, and communication among medically underserved patients

Uptake of Cancer Genetic Services for Chatbot vs Standard-of-Care Delivery Models: The BRIDGE Randomized Clinical Trial

Achieving the Health Equity Agenda Through Transformative Community-Engaged Strategies

Attitudes and beliefs regarding race-targeted genetic testing of Black people: A systematic review

Barriers to Using Legally Authorized Representatives in Clinical Research with Older Adults

Community Walks: a cluster randomized controlled trial of a multilevel physical activity intervention for low income public housing residents

Editorial: Women in science: Public Health Education and Promotion 2022

Investigation of interest in and timing preference for cancer predisposition testing and expanded carrier screening among women of reproductive age

Predictors of Women’s Intentions to Communicate Updated Genetic Test Results to Immediate and Extended Family Members

Promoting Authentic Academic—Community Engagement to Advance Health Equity

Racial and Ethnic Composition of Students, Graduates, and Faculty in Environmental Health Sciences, 2011 to 2021

Racial and Ethnic Diversity Among Students, Graduates, and Faculty in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, 2010-2020

The measurement of racism in health inequities research

A pilot pragmatic trial of a “what matters most”-based intervention targeting intersectional stigma related to being pregnant and living with HIV in Botswana

A randomized implementation trial to increase adoption of evidence-informed consent practices

A Study Examining the Usefulness of a New Measure of Research Engagement

Acculturation and Depressive Symptoms Among Dominicans in New York City

Association of Disparities in Family History and Family Cancer History in the Electronic Health Record With Sex, Race, Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, and Language Preference in 2 Large US Health Care Systems

Barriers to family history collection among Spanish-speaking primary care patients: a BRIDGE qualitative study

Construct validation of the Research Engagement Survey Tool (REST)

Copycat and lookalike edible cannabis product packaging in the United States

Ompad, D. C., Snyder, K. M., Sandh, S., Hagen, D., Collier, K. J., Goldmann, E., Goodman, M. S., & Tan, A. S. (n.d.).

Publication year

2022

Journal title

Drug and alcohol dependence

Volume

235

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109409

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Recent media reports have highlighted copycat/lookalike cannabis edibles as a public health concern. No empirical papers have described this phenomenon. Methods: From May 2020-August 2021, we collected photos of cannabis products via an online survey of cannabis users and through personal contacts. Copycat/lookalike products are defined as those that use the same or similar brand name, logo, and/or imagery as an existing commercial non-cannabis counterpart (CNCC). We assessed each package for similarities with its CNCC with respect to brand name, product name, font, color, flavors, and brand/promotional characters. We examined cannabis content indicators including: THC content per package and serving, cannabis leaf symbol, product warnings, cannabis terms, cannabis motifs, activation time, and guidance on edible use. Results: We collected photos of 731 cannabis products; 267 (36%) were edibles of which 22 (8%) represented 13 unique copycat/lookalike products. Eight used exact brand/product names as existing CNCCs, and five used similar names. Packages copied or imitated a mean of 3.9 of six features and indicated cannabis content with a mean of 4.1 of eight features. Thirteen packages indicated a mean THC content of 459 mg/package. Four reported THC dose per serving, with a mean dose of 47.5 mg. Conclusions: Our content analysis highlights three key concerns. First, copycat/lookalike edibles subtly indicate cannabis content while using high fidelity replication or imitation of their CNCC. Second, THC content is high and there were multiple 10 mg THC doses in the equivalent of 1 serving of a CNCC. Third, these products may be attractive to children.