Melinda Rushing joined the Bloustein School as an Assistant Professor in September 2024. She is a health equity researcher who applies data science methodology to identify inequitable practices in the way health services are delivered and accessed in marginalized communities. Combining frameworks from social work, public health, and data science background have had a synergistic effect on the implications of her research. She uses a range of sources of data (administrative data, EHR, and survey data) to identify inequitable trends in healthcare practices so interventions at the individual and systemic level can be developed.

She recently completed a three-year Pediatric Health Services Research Fellowship at the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center at the University of Michigan. Her research at CHEAR focused on improving access and quality of care among sickle cell patients as well as the application of various data science techniques to evaluate patient outcomes among sickle cell patients. Melinda received her Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science and a Data Science Certificate from the School of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center. She also holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Houston.

Research Interests

• Health equity
• Data science
• Health services