This month’s CHEA spotlight is one of our beloved CHEA fellows, Dr. Matthew Kearney. Matthew holds a Master’s in Public Health from Penn and PhD from Drexel University. Since 2016, he has been working on research projects alongside our executive director, Dr. Jaya Aysola. Along with Ana Bonilla-Martinez, last month’s CHEA spotlight, Matthew co-led a qualitative analysis of over 300 narratives to identify what factors are critical to driving inclusive cultures within health care organizations. This led to a publication in JAMA, Perceptions of Factors Associated With Inclusive Work and Learning Environments in Health Care Organizations: A Qualitative Narrative Analysis.

Matthew’s integrates both quantitative and qualitative research methods to explore various public health topics. These topics include health and healthcare inequities and social media data and misinformation. His non-traditional approach to public health research allows for innovation in health communications. Now more than ever, effective public health communication is crucial. The range of his work is diverse and incredibly necessary in the field! On a daily basis, Matthew is always eager to assist CHEA, our fellows, and our staff in any way possible.

This year, shortly after receiving his PhD, Matthew was hired as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health here at Penn! Congratulations, Matthew, we are so proud of you and cannot wait to see what amazing work you do here!