We often hear that kids today “are always on their phones”—but aren’t adults also spending increased amounts of time online? Dr. Monica Wang joins us to talk about how technology has changed lives across all generations and how it can be used to change our health (for better and for worse). We specifically explore digital redlining and health misinformation as two facets of technology that have an impact on youth health.
Dr. Monica Wang is Associate Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is a globally recognized and award-winning researcher, educator, and thought leader on health equity, racial justice, and community-based research targeting chronic diseases. Dr. Wang has generated over $6 million in federal and foundation funding for her program of research and published over 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts and policy documents. Her prior leadership roles included serving as Chair of the Narrative Office at the BU Center for Antiracist Research and Chair of the Civic and Public Engagement Committee at the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
Dr. Wang has received numerous national, regional, and institutional awards for her research, teaching, and service, including the 2023 40 Under 40 Leaders in Health from the National Minority Quality Forum and the 2022 Society of Behavioral Medicine’s Leading the Narrative Award for her op ed on COVID-19 vaccine equity. She served as a consultant to one of the largest social media companies in the world on COVID-19 health misinformation management. Her work and insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio, The Boston Globe, and CBS. She obtained her doctoral and master's degrees from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
For more information about digital redlining check out these resources:
Dr. Wang’s recently published JAMA article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2816265
The production of this podcast was supported by Grant 6-T76MC00017-27-01 from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the host and guests of this podcast episode and do not necessarily represent the official views of HRSA or HHS.
