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Epidemiology
Epidemiology & Social Sciences
Laura Cassidy, MS, PhD

Laura Cassidy, MS, PhD

Professor and Director, Institute for Health & Humanity; Director of Community Health; Associate Dean Global Health

Locations

  • Primary Appointment: Professor, Epidemiology
  • Secondary Appointments:
    Founding Director of Masters in Global Health Equity
    Research Director, Institute for Health & Humanity
    Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM)
    Director, Surgical, Clinical, and Outcomes Research

Contact Information

Education

PhD, Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh
MS, Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh
BS, Mathematics and Physics, University of Pittsburgh

Biography

Dr. Laura Cassidy is a Professor of Epidemiology with over 20 years of experience in education, research, collaboration, and academic leadership. She holds an MS in Biostatistics and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

At the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), Dr. Cassidy currently serves as Director of the Institute for Health & Humanity and Associate Dean of Global Health. She is also a 2018 graduate fellow of the prestigious Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program.

She has previously held several leadership roles at MCW, including Founding Director of the MS in Global Health Equity program, Director of the PhD program in Public & Community Health, Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Social Sciences, and Director of Pediatric Surgical Research.

Dr. Cassidy is deeply committed to advancing health and well-being locally and globally through transdisciplinary collaboration, mentorship, and strategic partnerships. Her research focuses on pediatric surgery, traumatic injury, Native American health, resilience, global health, and occupational and environmental epidemiology—especially among underserved populations. She has authored over 140 publications and led numerous research projects funded by HRSA, EMSC, NIH, AHW, RWJ, and other foundations.

With extensive global health experience, she has collaborated on occupational epidemiology studies in Russia and Northern Ireland, helped develop trauma registries in Haiti and Nigeria, and built lasting partnerships in countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Nepal. Her work has involved institutions like Makerere University, the Resilient Africa Network, and Dhulikhel Hospital. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Health Builders in Rwanda.

Dr. Cassidy's service and leadership have been recognized with the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Dynamic Leadership Award and the Wisconsin Public Health Association’s 2021 Distinguished Service to Public Health Award.

Honors and Awards

2016, Present Mentor of the Year-Graduate Student Award, Medical College of Wisconsin
2016, Present Outstanding Graduate School Teacher of the Year, Medical College of Wisconsin
2017-2018, Fellow-Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM)

Leadership Positions

  • Director, Division of Epidemiology & Social Sciences
  • Founding Director Master of Science in Global Health Equity
  • Research Director, Institute for Health & Equity

Publications

Publications of Laura Cassidy PhD from the Faculty Collaboration Database

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