Faculty & Staff
Faculty
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Title: Assistant Professor |
Melissa K. Ward, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Health Science & Practice at the University of South Florida. She earned a PhD in Public Health/Epidemiology from Florida International University (FIU) in 2017 and a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Global Health Policy from George Washington University (GW) in 2010. Her research interests include opioid use disorder and improving access to recovery care and support for substance use disorders. Currently, she is the Principal Investigator of a research study funded by the NIH/NIDA exploring ways to support women in recovery from opioid use disorder. Her research incorporates community engagement methods to ensure findings reflect the lived experiences of people in recovery.
Prior to USF, she served as a co-Investigator on multiple NIH-funded projects at FIU, including a capacity-building center grant and studies examining patient-centered HIV care. In 2010, she completed a GW Global Health Service Fellowship in the Public Health Information and GIS Unit at the World Health Organization. She has extensive experience in program management and evaluation, and has provided technical support for numerous projects sponsored by federal and international agencies including HRSA, NIH, the Department of State, UNAIDS, and the World Bank.
Education
- BA, Florida International University
- MPH, George Washington University
- PhD, Florida International University
Research Interests
- Opioid use disorder
- Access to care for substance use disorders
- Recovery support for substance use disorders
- Community-engaged research
- Women’s health
Recent Publications
A full list of publications is available at https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9296-981X
Selected Publications
Ward, MK, Mommaerts, K, Jafry, A, Greenamyre, E, Hughson, W, Landry, R, Sasser, C, Soria, M, Mortensen, E, Wagner, EF. Understanding barriers and facilitators to women’s recovery from opioid use disorder: A focus group study. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions. 2026;26(3):233-249. doi: 10.1080/1533256X.2026.2618008. PMCID: PMC12922652.
Ward, MK, Jafry, A, Coleman, S, Fernandez, SB, Gwanzura, T, Wagner, EF. Barriers to recovery from opioid use disorder reported by women during 2020: Insights for the next public health emergency. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2026;23(3):409. doi: 10.3390/ijerph23030409. PMCID: PMC13026320.
Ward, MK, Guille, C, Jafry, A, Gwanzura, T, Pryce, K, Lewis, P, Brady, KT. Digital health interventions to support women with opioid use disorder: A scoping review. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2024;261:111352. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111352. PMCID: PMC11376107
Ward, MK, Gwanzura, T, Rojas, RR, Trepka, MJ, Bursac, Z, Wagner, EF. Nonfatal opioid-related overdoses treated by emergency medical services in Florida, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2023;31:102102. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.102102. PMCID: PMC9791786