Dr. MacCallum-Bridges becomes CHEAR faculty investigator

Colleen L. MacCallum-Bridges, PhD, MS, joins the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Center as a new faculty investigator.

Dr. MacCallum-Bridges is an epidemiologist and biostatistician whose research examines macro-level drivers of maternal and child health, with the goal of producing evidence that can inform interventions to improve maternal and child health and reduce health disparities. 

"I’m so thrilled to be joining the CHEAR Center," she said. "From my Job Talk through the onboarding process, everyone has been incredibly warm, enthusiastic, and welcoming. It’s exciting to join a team that is so clearly mission-driven, collaborative, and collegial."

Dr. MacCallum-Bridges' current research focuses primarily on two areas: identifying potential causes of recent declines in maternal mental health and evaluating the impact of contemporary Medicaid eligibility changes, including postpartum eligibility extensions and continuous eligibility provisions, on maternal and child health.

"I hope to contribute to the thriving research community that CHEAR has built, particularly through my work in policy evaluation and maternal-child health," she said. "I’m especially interested in understanding how health and social policies can be leveraged to better support parents, children, and families, and I look forward to collaborating with other CHEAR investigators who share these interests. I’m excited about the opportunities ahead and can’t wait to get started!"

Dr. MacCallum-Bridges received her undergraduate degree in statistics and master's degree in biostatistics from Grand Valley State University. She completed her doctorate in epidemiology at Michigan State University.