Jen Cruz, PhD, MPH, is the Associate Director of Adult Health & Wellness. Jen is an applied social epidemiologist whose work focuses on advancing health equity through community-engaged and practice-based research. She has extensive experience working with both rural and urban populations globally across a range of health areas, including cancer prevention and control, diabetes management, gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive healthcare. Her broader interests center on developing methods that integrate epidemiology, community engagement, and systems science to inform evidence-based policy and practice. Jen’s personal and professional experiences deeply inform her commitment to community-centered research. She earned her PhD in Population Health Sciences from Harvard University, her MPH in Global Health Epidemiology from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and her BS in Psychology from Seattle University. She is also a Fulbright-Nehru Student Research alumna.