Michelle Birkett is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences and directs the Center for Computational and Social Sciences in Health (COMPASS) within the Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (I.AIM).
Dr. Birkett's research addresses the mental health and wellbeing of adolescents and young adults, particularly those from marginalized communities. Her work examines how social networks, peer relationships, and multilevel environmental factors influence psychological distress, victimization, and mental health trajectories among youth. Using innovative network and computational methodologies, Dr. Birkett investigates how social connections can both protect against and contribute to mental health challenges in young people. Her research demonstrates how stigma operates through social networks to impact adolescent wellbeing, while also identifying how supportive relationships and community connections promote resilience. She has pioneered the development of Network Canvas, a software platform that enables researchers to capture complex social data about relationships and support systems.
Dr. Birkett is an NIH Career Awardee and has led multiple federally-funded studies examining the intersection of social context and health among adolescents and young adults. Her work spans prevention science, developmental psychology, and public health approaches to understanding youth mental health disparities. She has authored more than 75 peer-reviewed articles examining topics such as school-based victimization, family acceptance, peer support networks, and mental health trajectories among diverse youth populations. Her research has been featured in leading academic journals including The American Journal of Public Health, Journal of Adolescent Health, Developmental Psychology, and Journal of Youth and Adolescence, as well as popular media outlets such as The Atlantic, Reuters, and Wired. In 2018, she was selected as an inaugural member of the New Voices Program of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, recognizing her contributions to advancing scientific understanding of adolescent health and development.