It is with great pleasure that the Wake Forest CTSI announces the appointment of Dr. Parissa Jahromi Ballard as our new Assistant Faculty Director for Community Engagement. In her new role, Dr. Ballard will report to the Senior Associate Dean for Health Equity and Community Engagement, Nadine J. Barrett, PhD, MA, MS. She will collaborate with faculty and leadership to support the mission of the Community and Stakeholder Engagement Research (C&SE) to engage diverse community stakeholders in collaborative research efforts that address health disparities, foster inclusiveness, and build trust between academic institutions, healthcare providers, and marginalized communities. Dr. Ballard’s responsibilities will include:
- Enhance community-engaged research to improve health outcomes in research.
- Develop new and existing programs, create evidence-based tools, and generate research ideas.
- Support current and establish new community partnerships to improve health using evidence-based tools and ideas for further research.
Dr. Ballard is an Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, with a joint appointment in Social Sciences and Health Policy. Her research focuses on youth engagement in communities and its impact on community efforts and healthy development. Two of her current projects include one funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse to enhance youth involvement in substance use prevention, and another funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, co-leading a study on the effects of a school-based action civics intervention.
Dr. Ballard’s impressive credentials and her commitment to building trust between academic institutions, healthcare providers, and marginalized communities make her an invaluable addition to our team.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Parissa Jahromi Ballard to this new role as we look forward to the positive impact she will have on both our institution and the broader community.