Melissa Thomas

Melissa Thomas, Ph.D., does work addresses the health needs of communities by designing, implementing and evaluating community-led health education and promotion initiatives, especially in the area of cancer health disparities. Her research focuses on the burden of disease in rural and Appalachian Ohio. She has established a community-led nonprofit organization, the Center for Appalachia Research in Cancer Education (CARE), to provide a framework to guide her research initiatives. Dr. Thomas founded the Amish and Mennonite Breast Health Project, which has served over 7,500 Amish and Mennonite women over 23 years with women’s health care services. She was the first to estimate breast cancer incidence and mortality rates among Amish women in Ohio.

Previously, Dr. Thomas acted as the Founding Director of the Office of Health Equity at one of the largest healthcare providers in the state, leading a statewide study testing the effectiveness of culturally competent education and healthcare services among Appalachian, Lesbian, Latino, African American, Amish and Mennonite communities. Her current research includes community-engaged cancer research initiatives in Appalachia Ohio and Amish Country, identifying health outcomes and coping strategies among food-insecure individuals in Appalachia, training and utilizing Community Health Workers in improving population health, and addressing the social determinants of health in rural communities.