Jessica Santos (she/her) is the Director of the Leah Zallman Center for Immigrant Health Research at the Institute for Community Health. In this role, she develops and oversees mixed methods studies in partnership with policymakers, community-based organizations, and healthcare systems to advance the well-being of immigrants and eradicate inequities in health and the social determinants of health. She also works with community partners to translate the findings of research into real-time policy solutions. Jessica is passionate about co-developing and testing participatory research methods that produce new relationships, power dynamics, and opportunities for social change in addition to rigorous findings.  Before coming to ICH, Jessica was the Director of Community-Engaged Research at the Institute for Economic and Racial Equity at Brandeis University, where she led studies on racial and ethnic wealth and health outcomes, Empowerment Economics and community assets, and pathways for immigrant integration and well-being.

Jessica received a BA in International Studies from Middlebury College and a Master’s in Sustainable Development from the School for International Training. She completed her PhD in Social Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.