2020 Winner of the Judy K. Black Award

Erika L. Thompson, PhD, MPH, FAAHB, CPH

Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems in the School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center

Erika Thompson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems in the School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. She received her Bachelor degree in Health Science (2006-2010) and Master of Public Health in Epidemiology (2010-2011) from the University of Florida. She then earned her PhD from the University of South Florida in Public Health (2011-2015), and subsequently completed a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship there (2016-2017).

Dr. Thompson has published over 60 peer-reviewed publications, and has published in high-impact journals such as, American Journal of Public Health, JAMA Pediatrics, Preventive Medicine, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and Women’s Health Issues. She has received grant funding from the Office on Women’s Health, National Institutes of Health, and several community-based organizations.

Her research is focused on two primary areas: human papillomavirus (HPV) prevention and community-engaged women and children’s health. Specifically, Dr. Thompson is interested in understanding the social, community, and policy factors impacting HPV vaccination uptake, as well as changes in HPV prevention guidelines and how these guidelines are implemented into practice. Moreover, Dr. Thompson’s community-engaged research has included projects related to the social determinants of health, such as housing instability, early childhood education, victimization, and access to healthcare. She currently is leading a pilot project from NIMHD to explore preferences for and access to contraception among women experiencing homelessness.