April 30, 2020

Thought Leader: Health disparities

M. Roy Wilson, Wayne State University President

Dr. M. Roy Wilson, a Harvard-trained medical doctor, epidemiologist and health disparities researcher, is uniquely qualified to lead Detroit’s urban research university during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilson has been appointed to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities and Healthcare Advisory Group of the Michigan Economic Recovery Council.

Wilson, who was appointed as Wayne State University’s 12th president in August 2013, previously served as the deputy director for strategic scientific planning and program coordination at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Wilson served as chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Board of Directors in 2018, and is the recipient of numerous professional awards, including the National Institutes of Health’s Director’s Award. Since his arrival in Detroit, he has redoubled the university’s commitment to combating medical issues such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, HIV and asthma, which affect Detroiters at a disproportionately higher rate than the rest of America.

President Wilson’s expertise includes:

  • Minority health
  • Health disparities
  • Epidemiology

Selected media clips:

To learn more about President Wilson, visit president.wayne.edu

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