Dr. Monica Webb Hooper is Deputy Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She is an internationally recognized licensed clinical health psychologist and translational behavioral scientist, with a 20+ year history of working every day to improve the health and quality of life among underserved communities. Her collaborative, community engaged science seeks to prevent or reduce the impact of chronic illnesses on populations with health disparities. Through her work, Dr. Webb Hooper has directly improved the health of thousands of racial and ethnic minority group adults and families, developing and delivering successful treatments for overcoming addictions, such as tobacco smoking, achieving personal weight management goals, reducing distress and mental health concerns (e.g., anxiety or depression), and improving partner and family relationships.

NIMHD leads and supports cutting edge science to improve minority health, reduce health disparities, and promote health equity. As NIMHD Deputy Director, Dr. Webb Hooper partners with the Director on overall executive direction and scientific leadership of the institute. Dr. Webb Hooper is also highly committed to the equitable and inclusive training of the next cadre of scientists who are invested in improving population health, community health, and global health.

Overall, Dr. Webb Hooper is dedicated to the scientific study of minority health and racial and ethnic disparities, and interventions to reduce them. She has published over 100 articles and book chapters and has been featured in numerous editorials throughout her career. Indeed, the mantra of her work is “science and partnerships that benefit and serve communities.” Academic Influence has identified Dr. Webb Hooper as one of 25 Influential Black Psychologists from the Last 30 Years (https://academicinfluence.com/rankings/people/black-scholars/psychologists), and one of 50 most cited and searched Black anthropologists (including the social sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences, and the humanities) over the past 30 years (https://academicinfluence.com/rankings/people/black-scholars/anthropologists)