Leila Wood, PhD, MSSW is an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Behavioral Health and Research (BHAR) team, at The University of Texas Medical Branch. Dr. Wood’s program of research focuses on college campus and community-based interpersonal violence intervention and prevention efforts. Over the last several years, she has conducted program evaluations and research studies in close collaboration with community agencies and campus partners, including studies on the extent and impact of sexual assault, dating violence, stalking and sexual harassment on college campuses. Dr. Wood currently leads or co-leads research projects focused on enhancing service responses to violence survivors including evaluations of housing interventions; technology-facilitated hotline services; and advocacy services for violence survivors on college campuses with funding support from the National Institute of Justice and The State of Texas, Office of the Governor. She is a mixed methods researcher with expertise in qualitative methods. Dr. Wood has extensive social work practice experience working with survivors of intimate and interpersonal violence. She is very excited to be a part of the BHAR team and help grow community-based violence prevention and intervention research efforts across the state of Texas.
Research Interests: Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault; Violence, Trauma, and Health Disparities; Substance Misuse/Abuse and Violence; and Violence Prevention