Feinberg Researcher Michael Wolf Awarded Fulbright Scholarship

Feinberg Researcher Michael Wolf Awarded Fulbright Scholarship

As a Fulbright Scholar, Michael S. Wolf, PhD, MPH, MA, associate professor of medicine and associate division chief of research in the Feinberg Division of General Internal Medicine, plans to focus on several research projects that investigate the feasibility of promoting health literacy in the areas of medication safety, chronic disease management, and physician-patient communication.

Michael S. Wolf, PhD, MPH, MA, associate professor of medicine and associate division chief of research in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Division of General Internal Medicine, has been awarded a J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship. The Fulbright Program, designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, provides participants with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Wolf, also a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and director of the medical school’s Health Literacy and Learning Program, aims to use this opportunity to bridge longstanding collaborations between Northwestern University and the United Kingdom around the topic of health literacy and health disparities research.

“I am very honored to have the opportunity to work with several academic and public health institutions across the United Kingdom, including the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Policy Research on Social Determinants of Health,” Wolf says. “My hope will be that the time I spend abroad will spark many future partnerships — from sharing knowledge on health interventions to joint research applications in either country.”

Wolf says it’s his experience as a student and faculty member at Feinberg that make him a qualified recipient of the Fulbright grant.

“I owe my career to the faculty here; they have mentored me and provided me with direction over my past decade at the University,” Wolf says. “I hope to adequately represent Northwestern, Feinberg, and the Division of General Internal Medicine during my appointment.”

As a Fulbright Scholar, Wolf plans to focus on several research projects that investigate the feasibility of promoting health literacy in the areas of medication safety, chronic disease management, and physician-patient communication. He plans to spend a great deal of time addressing how health tasks can be deconstructed and simplified.

“Through the WHO Centre, I will be working with the School of Public Health at the University of Liverpool to promote health literacy in the context of other psychosocial determinants of health, not only in the UK, but throughout the European Union,” says Wolf.Wolf’s research at Feinberg focuses on areas like health literacy, adult learning, health promotion, and medication safety. He is also an active contributor to national organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Joint Commission, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

“I hope my tenure in the Fulbright Program will offer other Feinberg investigators new opportunities to collaborate and learn about the research activities happening across England and the UK,” Wolf says.