Cheryl Wisseh

Dr. Wisseh has a diverse background in community engaged research in both ambulatory care and community pharmacy and public health. Prior to joining UCI, Dr. Wisseh has served as a primary and co-investigator on several pharmacy-related, health literacy and medication knowledge projects that engage minority communities. She is currently a Phase II Scholar in the Clinical Research Education and Career Development Program (PI: Mohsen Bazargan) at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. In this capacity, her work has centered on medication-related challenges in racial/ethnic minorities in South Los Angeles. Dr. Wisseh has examined the relationship between polypharmacy and social determinant of health indicators and several health conditions such as obesity, low cognition, and depression among community-dwelling African American and Latinx adults. With a group of collaborators, she has also evaluated the correlates of medication regimen complexity in community-based African American adults. 

The findings of Dr. Wisseh’s work demonstrates the following needs in minority communities 1) pharmacist-led comprehensive medication management services that assess patient level medication use behavior and provider and system level factors and 2) targeted medication adherence and disease state education interventions/programs that are patient-centered, culturally appropriate, and collaborative amongst pharmacists, physicians, other health care providers and the communities that they serve. Dr. Wisseh’s research conceptual model is such that social, political, and environmental determinants of health and chronic disease morbidity—which are all influenced by foundational structural inequity—influence behavioral and psychological factors which are mediators to medication related challenges and their associated outcomes. Such behavioral and psychological factors can be modified by theory-based, culturally tailored, community-engaged interventions/programs. Thus, her research program aims to improve minority populations’ health and wellness outcomes and reduce health disparities through pharmacy-led, collaborative, interdisciplinary services and programs.