Focus
Opioid Use Disorder, Recovery Support for Substance Use Disorder
Biography
Melissa Ward, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Stempel College. A proud double-alumna, she earned her BA in English from FIU in 2008 and her PhD in Public Health/Epidemiology in 2017. Her research interests include opioid use disorder and improving access to recovery support for substance use disorders. Currently, she is the Principal Investigator of a research study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse exploring ways to support women in recovery from opioid use disorder. She is also a co-Investigator on an NIH-funded project examining patient-centered HIV care. She has worked at FIU in a number of roles since 2013.
Prior to coming to FIU, Melissa worked as a Research Associate at George Washington University (GW). She has extensive experience in program management and evaluation, and has provided technical support for numerous projects sponsored by federal and international agencies including the Department of State, HRSA, NIH, UNAIDS, and the World Bank. In 2010, she received her MPH in Global Health Policy at GW, completing a GW Global Health Service Fellowship in the Public Health Information and GIS Unit at the World Health Organization that same year.
Education
- PhD, Public Health/Epidemiology, Florida International University, 2017
- MPH, Global Health Policy, George Washington University, 2010
- BA, English, Florida International University, 2008
Proud moment of your mentees
I love watching my mentees advance in their careers, whether that is presenting at a conference, publishing their first paper, landing a competitive post-doctoral fellowship, starting a job as a government epidemiologist, or launching their faculty career in academia.
Publications
To view a complete list of Dr. Ward’s publications, please view her FIU Discovery profile.
Selected Publications
Ward MK, Guille C, Jafry A, Gwanzura T, Pryce K, Lewis P, & Brady KT. Digital health interventions to support women with opioid use disorder: A scoping review. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2024;261:111352. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111352
Ward MK, Gwanzura T, Rojas RR, Trepka MJ, Bursac Z, & Wagner EF. Nonfatal opioid-related overdoses treated by emergency medical services in Florida, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2023;31:102102. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.102102