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Ping Ma, PhD

Ping Ma
Ping Ma, PhD

Associate Professor

Curriculum Vitae

CV (PDF)

Contact

Health Behavior
212 Adriance Lab Rd.
1266 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-1266
pma@tamu.edu
Phone: 979.436.9520
Google Scholar Profile
Scholars@TAMU Profile

Biography

Dr. Ma is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the Texas A&M School of Public Health. She has educational background in community health sciences and health promotion, with a research focus on social and environmental determinants of health outcomes (e.g., mental health, chronic diseases) and risk behaviors (e.g., substance use) in underserved populations, including maternal women, adolescents, racial/ethnic minorities, and older Asian populations. Dr. Ma specializes in survey development, mixed methods, and multi-level analysis to identify the mechanisms that drive these adverse health outcomes, which is a critical “success” of shaping effective interventions.

In addition to identifying risk factors, Dr. Ma is dedicated to developing health behavior interventions that incorporate innovative technology (e.g., mobile phone based, social media based), community-based participatory research, and integrated care models, aiming to reduce disparities and improve healthcare access. She has a strong track record of interdisciplinary collaboration with clinical healthcare providers, community organizations, and community health workers. Her work has secured funding from NIH, HRSA, CPRIT, Gulf grants, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and other external and internal sources. Dr. Ma teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses, including Grant Writing, Public Health Intervention, and Public Health Evaluation.

Education and Training

  • Liaoning University, China, BA, Social Welfare/Social Work, 2003
  • Liaoning University, China, Master, Population Studies/Demography, 2006
  • Linköping University, Sweden and Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), Paris, France, Master, Dynamics of Health and Society, 2008
  • Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, PhD, Public Health, 2013
  • University of Texas School of Public Health & UT Southwest Medical Center, Joint Fellowship in Cancer Prevention Research and Population Studies, 2015

Professional Certifications

  • Postdoctoral Training Certificate Program on Advanced Research - UT Southwest Medical Center. 2015
  • Geographic Information System (GIS): Fundamentals Training Certificate. 2014
  • Geographic Information System (GIS): Intermediate GIS and ArcGIS Training Certificate. 2014

Research Interests

  • Health Disparities
  • Social Determinants of Health
  • Maternal and Child Health/Women’s Health
  • Health Behavior Prevention (e.g., smoking cessation)
  • Mental Health and Mental Healthcare Service Access Research in Vulnerable Populations (e.g., adolescents, immigrants, racial minorities, and seniors)
  • Community-based Participated Research

Teaching Interests

  • Public Health Intervention
  • Public Health Program Evaluation
  • Social Determinants of Health
  • Maternal Women's Health
  • Grant Writing

Awards, Recognition and Service

  • Early Career Faculty Research Excellence Award - Texas A&M University School of Public Health. 2022
  • Health Disparities Research Scholar - Health Disparities Research Institute. 2022
  • ADVANCE National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development (NCFDD) Faculty Success Fellow - Texas A&M University. 2021
  • Interdisciplinary Research Leader - Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. 2020
  • Faculty Council Committee - Texas A&M University. 2023 - 2025