Myra Parker, JD, MPH, PhD

Personal Statement

​Myra Parker, JD, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral  Sciences, and Director of Seven Directions: A Center for Indigenous Public Health, based within the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington. She received her doctorate in Health Services at UW School of Public Health, and has been a member of the faculty since 2014.

Dr. Parker’s research and clinical interests include: (1) cultural adaptation of alcohol and drug interventions among American Indians and Alaska Natives (with a particular focus on  tribal college drinking harm reduction), (2) development and testing of parenting interventions to support early childhood development in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, (3) co-morbidity of substance use with depression, suicide, trauma, and PTSD, (4) research capacity development, including ethical aspects of research, for tribal and urban Indian communities; and, (5) dissemination and translation of evidence-based prevention and intervention approaches at the individual, institutional, and community level, including policy development. She has worked with tribal and urban Indian communities across the United States on these topics.

Education

PhD, Health Services, University of Washington, 2003-2010
JD, Federal Indian Law, University of Arizona, 1998-2001
MPH, Health Administration & Policy, University of Arizona, 1999-2002
BA, Human Biology, Stanford University, 1991-1995

Department Affiliations

Other Affiliations

Adjunct Faculty, American Indian Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Washington

Adjunct Faculty, Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington

Teaching Philosophy

My goals as a mentor are to support student development through critical dialogue and examination of mainstream research methodology through the lens of Community-based Participatory Research. By reviewing our assumptions inherent in standard research practices, we help students identify meaningful approaches to modify research techniques and tailor them to communities in need of research capacity development.

Recent Publications

The intersection of social and Indigenous determinants of health for health system strengthening: a scoping review.
(2024 Dec)
Int J Circumpolar Health 83(1): 2401656
Oré CE, Law M, Benally T, Parker ME

Understanding determinants of lung cancer preventive care in at-risk urban American Indians and Alaska Natives: A mixed-methods study.
(2024 Sep)
Prev Med Rep 45(): 102822
Tsosie U, Anderson N, Woo N, Dee C, Echo-Hawk A, Baker L, Rusk AM, Barrington W, Parker M, Triplette M

A pilot study of virtual Harm Reduction Talking Circles for American Indian and Alaska Native adults with alcohol use disorder.
(2024 Aug)
J Community Psychol 52(6): 739-761
Nelson LA, Shinagawa E, Garza CM, Squetimkin-Anquoe A, Jeffries I, Rajeev V, Taylor EM, Taylor S, Eakins D, Parker ME, Ubay T, King V, Duffing-Romero X, Park S, Saplan S, Clifasefi SL, Lowe J, Collins SE

Beyond attachment theory: Indigenous perspectives on the child-caregiver bond from a northwest tribal community.
(2024 Nov-Dec)
Child Dev 95(6): 1829-1844
Waters SF, Richardson M, Mills SR, Marris A, Harris F, Parker M

Developing an Indigenous systems alignment framework: A call for direct funding.
(2024 Jun)
Health Serv Res 59(3): e14292
Oré CE, Fong-Gurzinsky J, Marshall C, Parker M

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