Associate Professor
Dr. Krista Mehari is an associate professor and licensed clinical psychologist in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health at Michigan State University. An established expert in youth violence prevention, she is now broadening her research to address firearm injury prevention. Dr. Mehari partners with community leaders to uncover the root causes of youth violence and to develop and implement evidence-based prevention programs in both school and community settings.
Inspired by the unique partnership between the Flint community and the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, Dr. Mehari joined the ongoing, innovative community-based research efforts. Her goal is to conduct research in true partnership with communities, empowering youth not only to survive but also to thrive.
Dr. Mehari began her undergraduate studies at Hope College in Michigan, followed by a master’s degree and PhD in clinical psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed her psychology residency at the Virginia Treatment Center for Children, and her postdoctoral fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she received her first training in community-based participatory research—an experience that transformed her approach to research.
Prior to joining Michigan State, Dr. Mehari served as a faculty member at the University of South Alabama for six years and at Vanderbilt University for three years.
Dr. Mehari serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Prevention Research and is a standing member of the NIH Community Influences on Health Behavior review panel. She has been the principal investigator on grants from the NIH, CDC, and other organizations. In addition, she is committed to mentorship, having sponsored and mentored recipients of NIH K and F fellowships.