Leland Ackerson is an Associate Professor in the Public Health Department at UMass Lowell.

Leland K. Ackerson, ScD, MPH

Associate Professor, Master of Public Health Coordinator

College
Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences
Department
Public Health
Phone
978-934-3128
Office
O'Leary 540P
Email
Leland_Ackerson@uml.edu
Links

Expertise

Multilevel modeling; community health assessment

Research Interests

Social determinants of health; health inequities; built environment; health in all policies; health communications; psychosocial stress; public opinion of public health policies; health promotion

Education

  • Sc.D: Social Epidemiology, (2007), Harvard School of Public Health - Boston, MA
  • MPH: Community Health Education, (2000), University of Massachusetts Amherst - Amherst, MA
  • BS: Health Science and Humanities, (1992), University of New England - Biddeford, ME

Biosketch

Leland Ackerson is an associate professor in the Department of Public Health. Dr. Ackerson’s research interests are in the social determinants of health, health disparities, and public opinion of public health policies.

Selected Awards and Honors

  • Excellence in Teaching Award (2011), Teaching - University of Massachusetts Lowell Department of Community Health and Sustainability.
  • Faculty Engagement and Service Learning Award (2013) Teaching - University of Massachusetts Lowell.
  • Teacher of the Year Award (2019), Teaching - University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Student Government Association Teacher of the Year.

Selected Publications

  • Conte HA, Biondi MC, Janket SJ, Ackerson LK, Diamandis EP. Bebesia microti-induced fulminant sepsis in an immunocompromised host: A case report and the case-specific literature review Open Life Sciences 2022 September; 17: 1200-1207.
  • Nasir M, Summerfield N, Oztekin A, Knight M, Ackerson LK, Carreiro S. Machine Learning-based Outcome Prediction and Novel Hypothesis Generation for Substance Use Disorder Treatment Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association 2021 Jun 12;28(6):1216-1224.
  • Janket SJ, Ackerson LK, Diamandis EP. Drug-resistant bacteremia after fecal microbiota transplant New England Journal of Medicine 2020 May: 14;382(20):1960.
  • Janket SJ, Ackerson LK, Diamandis EP. Simpson’s paradox in proof-of-concept studies Nature Medicine 2019 Nov;25(11):1640.
  • Corsi, DJ, Subramanian SV, Ackerson LK, Davey-Smith G. Is there a greater maternal than paternal influence on offspring adiposity in India? Archives of Disease in Childhood 2015 Oct; 100(10): 973-979.
  • Ferrara CM, Ackerson LK, Murphy DA. Attitudes of a multiethnic group of immigrants towards online social networking and physical activity: Results from focus group discussions. Californian Journal of Health Promotion 2015 Sep; 13(2):61-73.
  • Rhoads KF, Ackerson LK, Ngo JV, Gray-Hazard FK, Subramanian SV, Dudley RA. Adequacy of lymph node examination in colorectal surgery: contribution of the hospital versus the surgeon. Medical Care 2013 Dec; 51 (12): 1055-1062.
  • Ackerson LK, Ramanadhan S, Arya M, Viswanath K. Social disparities, communication inequalities, and HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes in India. AIDS and Behavior 2012 Oct; 16(7) 2072-2081.
  • Viswanath K, Ackerson LK. Race, ethnicity, language, social class, and health communication inequalities: a nationally-representative cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE 2011 Jan; 6(1): e14550.
  • Ackerson LK, Subramanian SV. Negative freedom and death in the United States. American Journal of Public Health 2010 Nov; 100(11): 2163-2164.
  • Ackerson LK, Subramanian SV. Intimate partner violence and death among infants and children in India. Pediatrics 2009 Nov; 124(5): e878-e889.
  • Subramanian SV, Ackerson LK, Davey Smith G, John N. Association of maternal height with child mortality, anthropometric failure and anemia in India. Journal of the American Medical Association 2009 Apr 22;301(16):1691-1701.

Selected Presentations

  • Social disparities, communication inequalities, and HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes in India - American Association of Public Opinion Researchers Annual Conference, May 2011 - Phoenix, AZ.
  • Media and health threats: Public opinion implications of reporting of cancer and eastern equine encephalitis news - Midwest Association of Public Opinion Researchers Annual Meeting, November 2008 - Chicago, IL
  • Social determinants and communication inequalities - American Association of Public Opinion Researchers Annual Conference, May 2008 - New Orleans, LA.
  • Domestic violence and tobacco use in India - American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, November 2006 - Boston, MA.

Selected Contracts, Fellowships, Grants and Sponsored Research

  • A Holistic Data Analytic Modeling of Health Outcomes for Different Vulnerable Risk Groups (2018), Grant - IDEA Leadership Fund
    Oztekin, A. (Principal), Knight, M. (Co-Principal), Evans, K. (Supporting), Summerfield, N. (Supporting), Lee, S. (Supporting), Ackerson, L.K. (Supporting),
  • Co-Investigator: On-line social networking and promotion of recreational physical activity (2011), Grant - School of Health and Environment Seed Grant
  • On-line social networking and promotion of recreational physical activity (2011), Grant - School of Health and Environment
  • Co-Investigator: Greater Lowell Health Alliance Community Needs Assessment (2011), Grant - Lowell General Hospital and Saints Medical Center
  • Greater Lowell Health Alliance Community Needs Assessment (2011), Grant - Lowell General Hospital and Saints Medical Center
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2007), Fellowship - Harvard School of Public Health
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2007), Fellowship - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • Cancer Prevention Pre-doctoral Fellow (2003), Fellowship - Harvard School of Public Health