Assistant Professor, Department of Health Management and Policy
Dr. Caroline R. Efird (she/her) is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy in the School of Health at Georgetown University. As an interdisciplinary social scientist, she investigates how structural whiteness and racism influence the health and well-being of racially majoritized and minoritized populations. For example, some of her recent research focuses on understanding the social and cultural drivers of mental health-related beliefs, attitudes, and outcomes among residents of rural communities in the southern United States.
Dr. Efird holds a PhD and MPH in Health Behavior from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. She also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Justice Research at the Racial Justice Institute at Georgetown University. Prior to her career in health equity research, Dr. Efird earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and she worked with children and families in public schools and non-profit settings for over 9 years.
Featured publications:
Whiteness hurts society: How whiteness shapes mental, physical, and social health outcomes in the Journal of Social Issues
“We grew up in the church”: A critical discourse analysis of Black and White rural residents’ perceptions of mental health in Social Science and Medicine
Rural and nonrural racial variation in mentally unhealthy days: Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, in SSM-Mental Health