Bio: CeRon Ford is a Ph.D. Candidate in Health Services Research, Policy & Administration in the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Broadly, his research objectives include understanding how the U.S. healthcare system impacts population health through health services, policies, and practices. His primary research interests are mental health, health services research, rural health, health and social policy, and health equity. He also has experience and interest in additional areas, including healthy aging, long-term services and support, faith-based health, communications, and news media and public opinion.

CeRon employs quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches to examine inequities in mental health outcomes and services across the life course, from youth to older adults. His research explores barriers to healthcare utilization, the influence of media and messaging on health and social policy, and broader structural determinants of health. His work has been published in The Milbank Quarterly, Qualitative Health Research, and the Journal of Religion and Health, demonstrating the use of rigorous and innovative methodologies. He has also presented his research at numerous scientific conferences. He previously supported health communications at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has held multiple teaching and research appointments, including serving as a Teaching Fellow in the Public Health Administration & Policy MPH Program at UMN and a Teaching Associate at Morehouse School of Medicine, where he contributed to curriculum development and student mentorship.

As a Gates Millennium Scholar, CeRon earned his B.S. in Public Health from Baylor University and his M.P.H. from Morehouse School of Medicine. CeRon has served as the 2022-2023 AcademyHealth Liaison for the UMN Chapter, a 2023-2024 Mentor for the UMN SPH Buddy Program, and is a 2025 Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity Award Recipient. He is a recipient of the 2023-2024 AcademyHealth Health Equity Scholars Program, which supports the professional development of underrepresented groups in health services research. His long-term goal is to advance evidence that informs federal and state policy, promotes health equity, and improves outcomes for vulnerable populations as a tenured professor and health policy consultant.

Area of Emphasis: Health Policy

Advisors: Sarah Gollust, PhD and Carrie Henning-Smith, PhD, MPH, MSW

Research Interests: 

Broadly, my research interests include equity, mental health, healthy aging, rural health, health policy, politics, public opinion, and media and communications. 

View CV/Resume

Publications & Presentations: 

Peer-Reviewed Publications

[ 1 ] Ford, C., Rydberg, K., and Henning-Smith, C. Factors Associated with Mental and Behavioral Health Programming in U.S. Rural, Urban and Suburban Congregations. Journal of Religion and Health (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-025-02403-6

[ 2 ] Gollust, S.E., Medero, K., Nelson, Q.M., Ford, C., Franklin, F.E., Niederdeppe, J., Nagler, R.H. (2025). Strategies and Barriers to Communicating about Health Equity in Challenging Times: Qualitative Interviews with Public Health Communicators. Milbank Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.70022

[ 3 ] Medero, K., Abdi, H., Ford, C., and Gollust, S. (2025). Detecting and Preventing Imposter Participants: Methods and Recommendations for Qualitative Researchers. Qualitative Health Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323251333243

[ 4 ] Fashaw-Walters, S. A., Rahman, M., Gee, G., Mor, V., Rivera-Hernandez, M., Ford, C., and Thomas, K. S. (2023). Potentially More Out of Reach: Public Reporting Exacerbates Inequities in Home Health Access. The Milbank Quarterly, 101(2), 527–559. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12616

Peer-Reviewed Posters & Panel Discussions at Conferences (*indicates presenter)

[ 1 ] *Ford, C.O. (2025, September 10). The Unequal Toll: Identifying Mental Health Disparities in U.S. Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.

[ 2 ] *Ford, C.O. (2025, June 9). The Unequal Toll: Identifying Mental Health Disparities in U.S. Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Invited poster session for Mental Health and Substance Use. AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, United States.

[ 3 ] Medero, K., Abdi, H., *Ford, C.O., Gollust, S. (2025, June 8). Detecting and Preventing Imposter Participants: Methods and Recommendations for Qualitative Health Equity Researchers. Invited poster session for Methods Research. AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, United States.

[ 4 ] *Ford, C.O. (2025, April 9). The Unequal Toll: Identifying Mental Health Disparities in U.S. Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic. University of Minnesota School of Public Health Annual Research Day. Minneapolis, MN, United States.

[ 5 ] *Ford, C.O. (2023, June 25). Racial and Regional Differences in Delayed Mental Health Care Services, Due to Cost, Among Adults with Depressive Symptoms. Invited speaker for Mental Health and Substance Use. AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, Seattle, WA, United States.

[ 6 ] *Ford, C.O., Alema-Mensah, E., Archie-Booker, E., Warren, R. (2020, October 24). Perceived Racism and Reported Depression Among US Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White Men. Panel discussion for Black Caucus of Health Workers at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Expo, Virtual.

[ 7 ] *Ford, CO. (2019, November 4). Intergenerational Communication: What Public Health Educators, Students, and Practitioners Need to Know. Invited speaker for the Association of Accredited Public Health Programs. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Expo, Philadelphia, PA, United States.

[ 8 ] *Medero, K., Karbeah, J., Al, E., Gansen, C., Ford, C.O., Brown, D., Gollust, S.E., Nagler, R. (2024, October 29). Building Narrative Practice to De-stigmatize Mental Illness Among Black Youth in Minneapolis. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA), Minneapolis, MN.

Non-refereed Journal Articles, Essays, or Reports

[ 1 ] Hing, A., Chantarat, T., Motachwa, R., Ford, C., Fashaw-Walters, S., & Hardeman, R. (2022). Report on the State of Research Measurements of Structural Racism. Prepared for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Evidence for Action Program.

Service and Professional Activities: 

1. Aug 2025 – Present, Member, AcademyHealth Mental Health and Substance Use Research Interest Group Advisory Committee 

2. May 2023 – Present, Collaborator, Collaborative on Media & Messaging for Health and Social Policy (COMM HSP). A joint research team at Cornell University, Wesleyan University, and the University of Minnesota.

3. Apr 2025 – Present, Student Member, Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS)

4. Apr 2025, Reviewer, 2025 IAPHS Annual Meeting

5. May 2022 – Present, Member, AcademyHealth 

6. Feb 2023 – Present, Student Member, Minnesota Population Center (MPC) 

7. Aug 2022 – Jun 2024, Member, AcademyHealth Health Equity Interest Group Advisory Committee

8. Mar 2024, Reviewer, AcademyHealth Health Equity Scholars Program Selection Committee 

Contact Information:

Email: ford0588@umn.edu   |   LinkedIn  |  Linktree