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Chioma Woko: Health Policy Research Scholar

caption: Chioma WokoThe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently announced that Chioma Woko, a doctoral student in Penn’s Annenberg School for Communication, has been named to its 2018 cohort of 40 Health Policy Research Scholars.

Designed for second-year doctoral students from underrepresented populations and disadvantaged backgrounds, the Health Policy Research Scholars program helps researchers from all fields— from economics to epidemiology—apply their work to policies that advance equity and health while building a diverse field of leaders who reflect our changing national demographics. The four- to five-year program provides participants with an annual stipend of up to $30,000.

Ms. Woko is a health communication doctoral student studying health behaviors online. She is conducting research on what factors influence people in social networks to carry out health behaviors, such as physical activity, contraceptive use and tobacco-related behaviors.

Focusing on Black American populations, Ms. Woko’s work is based on evidence that suggests that different demographic groups use online resources for health in different ways, which are inherently related to disparities in health literacy and access to health resources. Ultimately, she hopes that her work will inform policy development that will impact the health outcomes of all marginalized groups.

Ms. Woko previously held a position at RTI International, where she worked on government funded research projects on food, nutrition and obesity policy. She will be advised through the program by John B. Jemmott III, Kenneth B. Clark Professor of Communication & Psychiatry and director of the Center for Health Behavior and Communication Research.

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