Deborah Ellis, Ph.D., professor of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, has been named associate chair for Research in her department.

The director of her department’s Division of Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Ellis joined the School of Medicine faculty as an assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences in 2004, and became a professor of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences in 2016.

“Dr. Ellis brings exceptional expertise and a strong commitment to advancing our research programs,” said Jinping Xu, M.D., M.S., chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences. “Her leadership will be instrumental as we develop strategic initiatives and expand our research portfolio to new heights.”

A pediatric psychologist by training, Dr. Ellis’s research focuses on developing behavioral interventions to improve health outcomes among adolescents with chronic medical conditions such as type 1 diabetes. Her work also focuses on developing culturally-competent interventions for youth of color and their families. She serves as director of the Community Engagement Core of the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities-funded P50 ACHIEVE Greater Center, which seeks to reduce cardiometabolic health disparities among Black adults and associated lifespan inequality. She has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for the last 20 years.

Dr. Ellis received the Wayne State University School of Medicine Teaching Excellence Award in 2019, 2012 and 2007, and the School of Medicine Research Excellence Award in 2019 and 2004. She is a member of the  American Psychological Association (Division of Pediatric Psychology and Division of Children, Youth and Families) and the American Diabetes Association.

She received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1987, a master’s degree in Child/Family Clinical Psychology from Michigan State University in 1990 and her doctoral degree in Child/Family Clinical Psychology from Michigan State University in 1993, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.