Derek Chapman, Ph.D., named Director of VCU Center on Society and Health
The Center on Society and Health (CSH) is an academic research center that studies the health implications of social factors—such as education, income, neighborhood and community environmental conditions, and public policy.
The VCU School of Public Health is proud to announce Derek Chapman, Ph.D., will lead the Center on Society and Health as director. Chapman is a professor of epidemiology and has held a leadership role in the Center since 2013.
Chapman has been a faculty member at VCU since 2004. For his first nine years at VCU, Chapman held a dual appointment with the Virginia Department of Health, where he served as the State Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist and conducted applied public health research to inform programs and policy actions. In December 2013, Chapman became the Center on Society and Health’s first associate director for research.
At CSH, Chapman leads a diverse interdisciplinary team that conducts user-oriented research directed at delivering actionable and policy-relevant findings in accessible formats like the nationally known life expectancy maps and the Virginia Wellbeing Dashboard, launched last fall. Chapman also brings extensive experience computing small-area population health metrics—including life expectancy and premature mortality—for cities and counties across the United States.
“Dr. Chapman is a distinguished epidemiologist whose extensive leadership experience, strategic vision, and deep commitment to addressing the social drivers of health will propel the Center’s mission forward with lasting impact,” said Monica Swahn, Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Public Health.
CSH is a national leader in community engaged research, creating new methods to engage communities in the development of research questions and action plans on health-related topics. Chapman leads the community and partner engagement portion of VCU’s U01 grant funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which established VCU as a national youth violence prevention center. The project brings together the Center on Society and Health, the Clark-Hill Institute for Positive Youth Development, and VCU Trauma Center’s Injury and Violence Prevention Center. By combining research findings with the voices of youth, caregivers, and service providers, Chapman and his team help Richmond City officials understand the value of positive youth development activities such as after-school programs and summer camps. In October 2024, then-mayor Levar Stoney highlighted the Center’s work during a press conference announcing a $1 million investment in after-school programs to support Richmond youth and reduce violence.
“I am excited for the opportunity to lead the Center and build upon the strong foundation laid by its founding director, Dr. Steven Woolf,” said Chapman. “Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to live the healthiest and longest life possible, no matter who they are or where they live. The Center’s non-partisan work to help policymakers understand the root causes of health disparities has never been more relevant or urgent.”
Learn more about CSH’s ongoing research at societyhealth.vcu.edu.
Categories News, public health research