Ep. 40: Transforming the Health of (Post-)Incarcerated Patients with Emily Wang, Yale University

Doing Translational Research

This episode Chris is joined by Emily Wang of Yale's Health Justice Lab, a collaborative, innovative interdisciplinary team focused on improving the health of individuals and communities who have been affected by mass incarceration. They discuss her work with incarcerated and recently-incarcerated patients; how the transition from incarceration to home is a particularly health-harming time; getting buy in from patients; evaluating programs; and the joy her work brings her. Dr. Emily Wang, MD, MAS, is an associate professor in the Yale School of Medicine and directs the Health Justice Lab. The Lab has run studies ranging from the epidemiology of incarceration and cardiovascular health to mitigating the community impact of gun violence using a participatory approach and assets based framework. Dr. Wang has cared for thousands of individuals with a history of incarceration and is co-founder of the Transitions Clinic Network (TCN), a growing consortium of 30 community health centers nationwide dedicated to caring for individuals recently released from correctional facilities by employing individuals with a history of incarceration as community health workers. Dr. Wang has an AB from Harvard University, an MD from Duke University and a MAS from the University of California, San Francisco.