Implementation Scientist is Appointed as Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
By Julie A. Bednark – December 14, 2023
We are pleased to announce that Callie Walsh-Bailey, MPH, PhD, has been appointed Assistant Professor, effective January 1st, 2024, in the Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) Division of Implementation Science at Northwestern University (NU) Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM). Dr. Walsh-Bailey also joins the Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Cancer Control and Survivorship Program (RHLCCC) and the Institute for Public Health and Medicine Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science (CDIS) as an affiliate faculty member.
Callie’s research is dedicated to exploring avenues for delivering more comprehensive person-centered healthcare and public health services within clinical and community settings. As an implementation scientist, her work revolves around investigating evidence-based practices for chronic disease prevention, including cancer control and survivorship, selecting and tailoring implementation strategies, and evaluating these strategies. In this work, Callie centers health equity and social determinants of health. Callie employs qualitative and mixed methods to accomplish this work. Chair of MSS, Rinad Beidas, PhD, notes that Callie is joining the fertile Feinberg School of Medicine implementation science ecosystem and is eager for her to bring her team science expertise to work at the intersection of implementation science, health equity, and cancer control and survivorship. “We are beyond thrilled that Callie Walsh-Bailey, MPH, PhD, selected MSS, RHLCCC, and CDIS as her first faculty home and know that she will bring deep expertise to our community.”
In 2017, Callie received the Extraordinary Achievement Award from Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute and in 2022, Callie was honored with the Presentation Award from the American Public Health Association.
In her own words, she describes implementation science as an exhilarating field, where researchers and practitioners collaborate to enhance health equity and the delivery of interventions to those in need. The goal is to ensure that individuals receive the care and services necessary for living their fullest and healthiest lives. Often, there exists a substantial gap between what research and literature suggest and what is actually provided to people on a daily basis.
Callie Walsh-Bailey earned her Master's in Public Health from Oregon State University and completed her PhD in Public Health Sciences in 2023, specializing in Dissemination & Implementation Science, at Washington University in St. Louis. Cara Lewis, PhD, a mentor for Callie, and Deputy Director of the Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, expressed that “it comes as no surprise that Dr. Callie Walsh-Bailey has transitioned directly into a faculty position after earning her PhD.” Callie is exceptionally driven and seemingly possesses boundless energy. We eagerly anticipate witnessing her transformative contributions.