NIMHD's Webb Hooper Lauded for Advancing Science of Health Disparities

Dr. Monica Webb Hooper, deputy director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), recently received two accolades for her leadership and influence across biomedical and behavioral research.

In April, she was recognized as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) Class of 2023 Global Top 100 List for Healthcare and Wellness in support of the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024. 

The MIPAD honor identifies high achievers of African descent in public and private sectors who have distinguished themselves in advancing people of African descent worldwide. The MIPAD Class of 2023 will be recognized at a formal ceremony on Oct. 1 at the Millennium Hilton in New York City.

Webb Hooper has also been acknowledged by Academic Influence (AI) as one of 25 Influential Black Psychologists and among 50 Influential Black Anthropologists from the past 30 years. 

AI is a data science organization that ranks the top schools, disciplinary programs and academic thought leaders based on statistical analyses of scholarly journals and keyword searches. Their data show Webb Hooper is one of America’s most cited and searched Black scholars.

In 2020, shortly after joining NIMHD, Webb Hooper was established as a leading federal authority on Covid-19 disparities when she authored an article, “Covid-19 and Racial/Ethnic Disparities,” highlighting the disproportionate burden of the coronavirus on people from racial and ethnic minority groups. 

The article was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and cited more than 1,200 times.