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Family and Community Medicine
Leslie Ruffalo, PhD, MS

Leslie Ruffalo, PhD

Advisor, Family Medicine Learning Community & Family Medicine Student Association; Course Director, Promoting Health in Underserved Communities & Continuous Professional Development; M3 Family Medicine Clerkship: Community Health Instructor

Biography

Leslie Ruffalo, PhD, MS, is an Associate Professor and the Co-Director of Medical Student Education in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In addition to the Department of Family and Community Medicine, she holds faculty appointments in the Office of Community Engagement and the Graduate School.  Dr. Ruffalo defines herself as a community-engaged health researcher and educator. Her doctoral research focused on investigating health changes (knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors) that veterans and veteran peer mentors experience through participation in a hypertension self-management program. Since finishing her doctorate, she has worked extensively with neighborhoods and communities across the state of Wisconsin to address health priority needs generated by community members. Her research philosophy is to apply community engaged research principles to answer research questions that are important to the community. Dr. Ruffalo’s research approach has been applied to veteran health, food security, school-based health and wellness, and rural health. She is the Co-Director of the Continuous Professional Development Course in the medical school, the Director of the Thriving During Clerkship Course in the medical school, and the Director of the Building Coalitions and Community Organizing Course in the DrPH program.

Publications

Publications of Leslie Ruffalo PhD from the Faculty Collaboration Database

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