Biography

Anita M. Wells, PhD is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at Morgan State University where she also serves as Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Psychometrics. She earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and completed her clinical internship at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Hines VA Hospital. Prior to joining the Psychology faculty, Dr. Wells was a 2006-2008 Kellogg Health Scholar in Multidisciplinary Disparities at the School of Community Health and Policy at Morgan. Dr. Wells' areas of research include health disparities, health promotion, and mental health. Her work is geared toward effectively promoting enduring positive health practices (i.e. healthy diet, exercise, and participation in health screenings) in minority populations, improving public understanding of and support for preventive mental health initiatives, and influencing change in health policy. She has conducted community based research with African American populations for 12 years. During her Kellogg postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Wells worked with researchers at Johns Hopkins on a study of breast health behaviors and age at first mammogram among African American women in the greater Baltimore area. Dr. Wells' current research includes a pilot study examining how Black women under the age of 40 make health decisions regarding cancer screening. Her other primary line of research focuses on the impact of trauma and violence on mental health and well-being with an emphasis on U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their family members. Dr. Wells was a Kellogg Health Scholar at Morgan State University.