Melody Goodman

Interim Dean, School of Global Public Health

Professor of Biostatistics

Professional overview

Dr. Melody S. Goodman is a biostatistician and research methodologist. Her research interest is identifying the origins of health inequities and developing, as necessary, evidence-informed primary prevention strategies to reduce these health inequities. Dr. Goodman’s research efforts seek to develop a more rigorous understanding of the social risk factors contributing to urban health inequities to develop culturally competent, region-specific solutions through collaborative activities with community members, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and other community health stakeholders. Her work aims to develop solutions for improving health in minoritized and medically underserved communities. 

Dr. Goodman led the team that developed and comprehensively evaluated the Research Engagement Survey Tool, a quantitative survey measure to assess the level of community engagement in research studies from the community partner perspective. She is the Founding Director of the Center for Antiracism, Social Justice, & Public Health. 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 100 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. She is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the inaugural recipient of the Societal Impact Award from the Caucus for Women in Statistics (2021).

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 (Minors: Social Determinants of Health Disparities and Theoretical Statistics), 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

Health Disparities

Health Equity

Minorities

Minority Health

Quantitative Research

Publications

Publications

Understanding the Use of Optimal Formatting and Plain Language When Presenting Key Information in Clinical Trials

Barriers and facilitators to qualitative data sharing in the United States: A survey of qualitative researchers

Comparing models of delivery for cancer genetics services among patients receiving primary care who meet criteria for genetic evaluation in two healthcare systems: BRIDGE randomized controlled trial

Development and validation of a brief version of the research engagement survey tool

Impact of numeracy preferences on information needs for genome sequencing results

Perceived barriers to assessing understanding and appreciation of informed consent in clinical trials: A mixed-method study

Psychometric Validation of a Scale to Assess Culturally-Salient Aspects of HIV Stigma Among Women Living with HIV in Botswana: Engaging “What Matters Most” to Resist Stigma

Strategies of community engagement in research: Definitions and classifications

Community partners' responses to items assessing stakeholder engagement: Cognitive response testing in measure development

Mothers moving towards empowerment' intervention to reduce stigma and improve treatment adherence in pregnant women living with HIV in Botswana: Study protocol for a pragmatic clinical trial

Race, Trust in Doctors, Privacy Concerns, and Consent Preferences for Biobanks

Racial Discrimination, Sexual Partner Race/Ethnicity, and Depressive Symptoms Among Black Sexual Minority Men

Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Academic Public Health: 20-Year Update

Reaching consensus on principles of stakeholder engagement in research

Relationships of Family History-related Factors and Causal Beliefs to Cancer Risk Perception and Mammography Screening Adherence Among Medically Underserved Women

Relationships of health information orientation and cancer history on preferences for consent and control over biospecimens in a biobank: A race-stratified analysis

Comparing preferences for return of genome sequencing results assessed with rating and ranking items

Comparison of unintended pregnancy at 12 months between two contraceptive care programs; a controlled time-trend design

Content validation of a quantitative stakeholder engagement measure

Decision role preferences for return of results from genome sequencing amongst young breast cancer patients

Effect of staff training and cost support on provision of long-acting reversible contraception in community health centers

Factors affecting breast cancer patients' need for genetic risk information: From information insufficiency to information need

How neighborhoods matter in fatal interactions between police and men of color

Adaptation, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Public Health Research Methods Training for Youth

Are You Making an Impact? Evaluating the Population Health Impact of Community Benefit Programs