Azia Harris-Martin

Azia Harris-Martin, Master of Public Health, is a PhD candidate in the Health Infrastructure and Learning Systems program at the University of Michigan Medical School, within the Department of Learning Health Sciences. Her research sits at the intersection of disaster science and implementation science, using the Learning Health System model. She applies frameworks such as the sociotechnical systems model, the disaster management cycle, and implementation science to conduct mixed-methods research.

Harris-Martin's work focuses on how disaster preparedness exercises—particularly the federally mandated Medical Response Surge Exercise required for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response Health Care Coalitions—translate knowledge into practice and how federal policy is implemented at the local level. Her overarching research goal is to better understand the complex relationships between hazards, disaster responses, healthcare systems, and inequitable outcomes.

In addition to her academic work, Harris-Martin brings over five years of experience in healthcare organizations, including Emory Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, and Optum. She currently serves as the Chief Program Officer for the Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services in Michigan. In this role, she leads a team focused on implementing programs that improve health outcomes for nearly two million residents in the state’s most populous and diverse county.