Karriem Watson, DHSc, MS, MPH

Chief Engagement Officer, National Institutes of Health, All of Us Research Program

Dr. Karriem Watson, DHSc, MS, MPH, is the Chief Engagement Officer of the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program.  He leads the Division of Engagement and Outreach for All of Us, and oversees the program’s strong network of community partners, participant ambassadors, and research organizations with a focus on engaging people and communities who have been left out of medical research in the past and inviting them to help drive new biomedical discoveries. Dr. Watson comes to All of Us from his role as associate executive director of the Mile Square Health Center, a group of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Chicago affiliated with the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System. He also served as the associate director of community outreach and engagement for the University of Illinois Cancer Center and as a research assistant professor in the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health. Beyond his work with UIC, he has served as co-lead of the All of Us Engagement Core at the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, cultivating positive relationships with the program’s participant ambassadors.

Dr. Watson has a Doctorate in Health Science (Global Health), a Master of Science in Basic Medical Research, and a Master’s in Public Health (Community Health Sciences). He has served as a principal investigator on multiple projects including those funded by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the All of Us Research Program. His expertise in community-academic partnerships is also supported in his role as board chair of the Community Campus Partnerships for Health. His contributions have earned him recognition by the Chicago Urban League, American Heart Association, LUNGevity Foundation, and others.

“My experience with citizen scientists has shown the power that comes from building real community engagement in biomedical research,” said Watson. “These collaborations open up our understanding of health by broadening our perspectives and better addressing community needs.”

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