Karriem Watson

Karriem Watson, DHSc, MS, MPH is a Senior Research Specialist overseeing community-engaged research for the University of Illinois Cancer Center (UICC). In this role, Karriem utilizes his expertise in community-engaged research to develop a research and community engagement and outreach infrastructure that examines cancer disparities. Karriem has been involved in the design and conduct of clinical and translational research studies for over 14 years and serves as a reviewer for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Karriem also conducts research that examines attitudes, beliefs and barriers that affect the participation of African Americans and Latinos in clinical and translational research. He has been with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) since 2005 and has served in several capacities such as Research Director in the Department of Neurosurgery and Director of the Early Outreach Program in the Urban Health Program (UHP).

Karriem has a commitment to community engagement and increasing educational opportunities for underrepresented minorities in the STEM (Science, Technology and Engineering and Math) fields. His community engagement includes sitting on several boards that promote improved public health like Project Brotherhood that serves primarily African American men and their health needs on the south side of Chicago. He also inspires youth to go into STEM careers and serves as Adjunct Instructor at DePaul University and also teaches in the graduate college at Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies. In his role at the Cancer Center, Karriem also engages the FQHCs Mile Square Health Clinics, community-based organizations,families and survivors in bidirectional exchange that supports the development of evidence based programs that improves cancer screening, prevention and treatment outcomes.

In addition, Karriem serves on the Board of Directors for Village Leadership Academy where he has been instrumental in exposing inner city youth to a global education experience that has ranged from study abroad programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico and Brazil to name a few. Lastly, Karriem has worked passionately to incorporate faith into a public health framework. He has created several projects that use the impact of faith to increase awareness of such conditions as Breast and Prostate Cancer and HIV/AIDS.