Alexandra Nolen, PhD, MPH

University of Texas Medical Branch @ Galveston TX
Director, Center to Eliminate Health Disparities; Associate Director: UTMB PAHO / WHO Training Center
301 University Blvd.
Galveston, TX
USA 77555-0434

Biographical Sketch: Alexandra (Lexi) Bambas Nolen, PhD, MPH, serves as the Director of the Center to Eliminate Health Disparities and Director ad interim of the Global Health Program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. At the CEHD, Dr. Nolen has developed program areas on reducing health inequities through the Health System and Social Determinants of Health, and has developed training materials on Leadership Skills for Social Change in Health as well as advanced research and training in Global Health. She is currently overseeing an NIH-funded initiative to address Health in All Policies in Galveston’s local recovery efforts from Hurricane Ike. Dr. Nolen served on the Secretariat of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health from 2005 – 2007, focused on advancing intersectoral action for health to reduce health inequities. Previously she was the Coordinator of the Global Equity Gauge Alliance (2002-2004), a South Africa-based non-governmental organization focused on health equity initiatives in Latin America, Africa and Asia. She has experience coordinating community-based research and interventions as well as policy development on issues of health inequities and public health in a number of country contexts.

Papers:
3027.0 Using health impact assessments as both a research and community coalition-building tool 3027.0 Communicating risk to environmental justice communities: Promoting a culturally-fluent, bi-directional conversation enhancing expertise with local knowledge 5003.0 Health impact assessment of siting public housing units following a natural disaster 5103.0 Geographic information systems and weighted cumulative impact scoring: A model for quantifying potential health impacts 5103.0 Using focus groups in a health impact assessment to understand social factors influencing health