Karriem Watson, DHSc, MS, MPH
Executive Director, Mile Square Health Center
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About
Karriem Watson brings extensive experience as a leader in health equity and community-engaged research. He has led national efforts to foster relationships between communities, researchers, and healthcare providers to advance inclusive scientific participation and improve health outcomes. His work has focused on increasing representation in medical research, ensuring that diverse populations have a voice in the development of new therapeutics and models of care.
Prior to this, Watson spent over 15 years as a community-engaged research scientist with the Mile Square Health Center FQHC network and the Chicagoland area. He previously served as Associate Executive Director at Mile Square while also holding key leadership roles at the University of Illinois Cancer Center, including associate director of community outreach and engagement, and as a research assistant professor in the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health. Throughout his career, he has built strong community-academic partnerships, serving as board chair of the Community Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH).
Watson has served as a principal investigator on multiple research initiatives funded by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and PCORI. His academic credentials include a Doctorate in Health Science with a concentration in global health, a Master of Science in Basic Medical Research, and a Master in Public Health with a community health sciences concentration.
His contributions to health equity and research engagement have earned him recognition from organizations such as the Chicago Urban League, the American Heart Association, and the LUNGevity Foundation.