Our Faculty and Staff

Imelda K. Moise, PhD, MPH, MSc, is an applied medical geographer whose work spans global health, population health and environmental change. She is Professor of Medical Education at Nova Southeastern University's Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine where she serves as Director of the Global Health Program and Director of the NSU Ocean Health Initiative (NOHI). She is also a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Community and Family Medicine at the University of Zambia.

Dr. Moise's career has focused on developing interdisciplinary programs and partnerships that connect research, policy and practice. At NSU, she is leading the development of new undergraduate and graduate Global Health programs and guiding NOHI as a university-wide initiative that brings together researchers, educators, healthcare professionals and community partners to address challenges at the intersection of human health, environmental change and community resilience.

Dr. Moise is known for her interdisciplinary work in spatial epidemiology, M&E, implementation science and health systems strengthening. Her research integrates geographic, epidemiologic and culturally responsive approaches to examine how place, environment and social conditions shape health outcomes and inform population health and policy.

Prior to joining NSU, Dr. Moise served as a tenured Associate Professor and Director of Global Health Programs at the University of Miami where she co-founded and led undergraduate and graduate Global Health degree programs, including the BA, BS, MA and accelerated 4+1 pathways. She also spearheaded the development of an interdisciplinary professional master's program in Resilience and Sustainability, creating a collaborative degree jointly offered by the College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Architecture. Through these efforts, she expanded experiential learning opportunities, established partnerships, launched student leadership initiatives and helped prepare future leaders to address complex health and environmental challenges.

Before entering academia, Dr. Moise held leadership roles in global public health, leading M&E, implementation research, health systems strengthening and workforce development initiatives across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Earlier in her career, she served as a Technical Trainer with the U.S. Peace Corps in Zambia preparing Peace Corps Volunteers to serve as Integrated Aquaculture Extension Agents in rural communities. In addition to her international work, Dr. Moise led evaluations for Illinois initiatives spanning maternal and child health, substance abuse prevention, early childhood systems, juvenile justice and mental health. She also worked with public and nonprofit organizations to improve data-informed decision-making and program outcomes and trained government, nonprofit and community stakeholders in data utilization and evaluation methods. Her leadership in evaluation was recognized through the American Evaluation Association Minority Serving Institution Fellowship where she focused on culturally responsive evaluation theory and practice. Her contributions to the discipline of geography have been recognized through a Geography Early Career Researcher Award, Fulbright Specialist designation and numerous awards for scholarship, mentorship and civic engagement.

Dr. Moise's scholarship spans Africa, Latin America and the United States and addresses challenges in vector-borne and infectious diseases, maternal and child health, environmental health, coastal resilience and health systems. Across her career, she has brought together perspectives from public health, medicine, geography, environmental sciences and community knowledge to address challenges that cannot be solved through a single disciplinary lens. She has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and scholarly works, co-edited books, contributed book chapters and produced technical guidance that has informed research, policy and practice. Her research has been supported by the NIH, CDC, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Spencer Foundation, National Geographic Society, EPA, The Children's Trust and other public and philanthropic funders.

Beyond research, Dr. Moise contributes to national and international public health strategy through service on scientific review panels, advisory committees and expert working groups for organizations including NIH, CDC, NSF, RWJF, UNAIDS and NACCHO. Her service has helped shape research priorities, funding decisions, evaluation practice and public health strategy in areas ranging from disease surveillance and population health to environmental health and community resilience. She currently serves on the Editorial Board of the Annals of the American Association of Geographers and as an Academic Editor for PLOS ONE. Through her leadership and scholarship, she continues to bridge disciplines, sectors and communities to advance sustainable solutions to global health challenges.