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

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

For the Sake of All: Civic Education on the Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities in St. Louis

How segregation makes Us Fat: Food behaviors and food environment as mediators of the relationship between residential segregation and individual body mass index

Photovoice as a Pedagogical Tool to Increase Research Literacy Among Community Members

Preferences for learning different types of genome sequencing results among young breast cancer patients: Role of psychological and clinical factors

Training Community Members in Public Health Research: Development and Implementation of a Community Participatory Research Pilot Project

Biostatistics for clinical and public health research

Descriptive Analysis of the 2014 Race-Based Healthcare Disparities Measurement Literature

Development of Plain Language Supplemental Materials for the Biobank Informed Consent Process

EVALUATING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN RESEARCH: QUANTITATIVE MEASURE DEVELOPMENT

Increasing Community Research Capacity to Address Health Disparities

Information Topics of Greatest Interest for Return of Genome Sequencing Results among Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer at a Young Age

Psychosocial and Clinical Factors Associated with Family Communication of Cancer Genetic Test Results among Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer at a Young Age

Public Health Research Methods for Partnerships and Practice

Quantitative research methods

Reducing health disparities by removing cost, access, and knowledge barriers

Systematic Review of Quantitative Measures of Stakeholder Engagement

Breast reconstruction after mastectomy at a comprehensive cancer center