NEW YORK (April 17, 2025) — The NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research and NYU Langone Health’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity (IEHE) announced on Thursday, April 17, that Dr. Damali M. Wilson has been selected as the Maternal and Reproductive Health Fellow. Dr. Wilson will spend a year advancing the promotion and practice of health equity, with a specific focus on maternal and reproductive health. As the inaugural fellow, Dr. Wilson will undertake a body of work that addresses the critical need to highlight and reduce disparities in healthcare outcomes and access, particularly among marginalized and underserved populations.
“We welcome Dr. Wilson in this inaugural role,” said IEHE Director Dr. Gbenga Ogedegbe. “Her background as a social scientist coupled with her experience in addressing maternal child health, will help us unravel the policy levers and provide insights into development of novel systems-level approaches to addressing the rather thorny issue of poor pregnancy-related health outcomes and maternal health metrics in diverse populations. We are thrilled to work with her in this role.”
“Dr. Wilson brings unparalleled passion and decades of experience working to improve the lives of families within our communities. She is a proven innovator who is recognized as a leading expert on the issues that most deeply impact the communities this fellowship focuses on. She is tailor-made to take on this new role and I am excited for the opportunity to work with her again,” said McSilver Institute Executive Director Rose Pierre-Louis.
“In the community I serve, we are acutely aware of the ongoing crisis in maternal health,” said New York City Councilmember Farah N. Louis . “The appointment of Dr. Wilson to this position represents an ongoing commitment by NYU McSilver and NYU Langone Health’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity to bring critical resources to bare on this crisis, engage with the community in a productive and data-driven way, and ultimately develop solutions that are both targeted and achievable. I am deeply thankful for the continued partnership with NYU and thrilled by the choice of someone as experienced and dedicated as Dr. Wilson for this role.”
Dr. Wilson is a social scientist with an extensive background in research and programming focused on maternal, child, and adolescent health and well-being, particularly at the intersection of physical and mental health. She previously served as a project director at the McSilver Institute, where she managed Safe Mothers, Safe Children, a study testing a maternal mental health intervention for child-welfare-involved mothers with young children.
Her previous work includes parenting, early childhood development, a prenatal-to-3 focus in the child welfare prevention continuum, and maternal child health equity through research, policy, and community engaged action.
“I am honored to be named the inaugural fellow, and could not be more excited to work with the Institute for Excellence in Health Equity and the McSilver Institute to advance our shared agenda of substantively improving maternal health outcomes,” Dr. Wilson said. “My deepest thanks to Executive Director Pierre-Louis, Dr. Ogedegbe, and all the colleagues at both institutes with whom I’m thrilled to begin working.”
The joint fellowship and collaboration between McSilver and IEHE aims to generate actionable insights, influence policy changes, and conduct research that informs the implementation of evidence-based practices that promote equitable health outcomes with a focus on the intersection of maternal and reproductive health and poverty. By uniting McSilver’s social and community-focused perspective with IEHE’s clinical, education, and research-driven approach, the fellowship aims to drive meaningful advancements in maternal and reproductive health and contribute to the development of inclusive and effective healthcare practices.
About the McSilver Institute
The NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research committed to creating new knowledge about the root causes of poverty, developing evidence-based interventions to address its consequences, and rapidly translating research findings into action through policy and best practices. Learn more at mcsilver.nyu.edu.
About the IEHE
NYU Langone’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity (IEHE) promotes equity in health outcomes and builds an inclusive culture of medicine. The IEHE is guided by four core pillars to help the institute accomplish its mission: research, medical education, clinical care, and community engagement. More about the IEHE.