Jessica M. Perkins, PhD

Jessica M. Perkins, PhD, MS, is an interdisciplinary social and behavioral scientist and an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt Peabody College of Education and Human Development. Dr. Perkins's research broadly assesses social norms and social networks as drivers of HIV prevention and treatment and co-occurring behaviors and attitudes. Misperceptions about health-promoting norms within local networks are identified as opportunities to implement norms-based strategies to encourage individual and collective change.

Dr. Perkins' primary line of research is in Uganda, where work is funded by an Early Career Research Scientist Development Award from NIMH (1K01MH115811-01A1). This research is part of an ongoing, community-engaged, population-based cohort study of health outcomes among adults in rural Uganda in collaboration with colleagues across several institutions. The published body of work around social norms and social context spans ART adherence, HIV testing, HIV-related stigma, substance use, intimate partner violence, food security, water security, and mental health. Additionally, collaboration with VIGH colleagues includes studies addressing structural and social determinants of HIV prevention and treatment outcomes among adults in Tennessee. Other work lines involve assessing social norms' role in health-related behaviors among adolescents and college students in the US.

Dr. Perkins earned a PhD in Health Policy from Harvard University, an MS in Population and International Health from Harvard School of Public Health, and a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Davidson College. An extensive background in quantitative research methodology, survey development, and fieldwork in low-resource settings complements growing expertise in qualitative methods and budding work in implementation science. Experience includes living and working on studies in Uganda, South Africa, Peru, India, Ecuador, Spain, Morocco, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Teaching community health and development courses to undergraduate and graduate students is also a key aspect of this role, welcoming interest from prospective masters and doctoral students.