Associate Professor
University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy
Disclosure: AstraZeneca (Grant/Research Support)GlaxoSmithKline (Grant/Research Support)Merck & Co. (Grant/Research Support)
Justin Gatwood, PhD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Health Outcomes and Policy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Pharmacy in Nashville, TN. His overarching research focus is on improving health outcomes by addressing medication nonadherence and preventive measures, such as vaccinations, primarily by increasing pharmacist involvement with direct patient care. His work approaches this from two distinct yet related methods: 1) identifying and assessing populations using large claims databases and EHRs; and 2) developing and testing technology-focused behavioral interventions aimed at improving medication use and other health-related behaviors. While at UTHSC, this has included analyzing veterans’ antidiabetic medication use patterns for racial and regional variation in adherence and outcomes, testing the effectiveness of tailored text messages to improve diabetes self-care activities among underserved Black American adults with diabetes, using real-time mobile monitoring to improve glaucoma medication adherence, and examining oral anticancer medication adherence and its initiation on adherence to other chronic disease medications. Most recently, his work has had heightened focus on understanding adult vaccine hesitancy, specifically the role of social determinants of health, and developing pharmacy-led efforts to identify and combat resistance to recommended vaccinations through evidence-based communication techniques.
Prior to joining the faculty at UTHSC, Dr. Gatwood was a Senior Research Analyst with Truven Health Analytics and, prior to that, was employed in sales and marketing at sanofi-aventis. He has a BA in Economics from Cornell University, an MPH from The Ohio State University, and a PhD in Social and Administrative Pharmacy from the University of Michigan.