Denise Stevens, Ph.D. is the President of MATRIX Public Health Consultants, Inc.
Prior to forming MATRIX, Dr. Stevens was on the Research Faculty at the Yale University School of Medicine. In her work as a scientist during the 1990's she became interested in bridging research and public health practice. Over the past decade, Dr. Stevens work has led to numerous policy reform initiatives at the local and statewide levels including the adaptation of on-site human service provision within public housing, standardized referral and assessment procedures within homeless shelters, community models of care for children and youth with special health care needs, and the incorporation of best practices for the treatment and prevention of numerous chronic diseases including diabetes, adolescent substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and youth violence prevention, among others. Dr. Stevens is an expert in designing, implementing and evaluating systems change initiatives in the area of health and human services delivery, having worked on projects at the local, state and national levels.
Dr. Stevens was the recipient of a McArthur Foundation pre-doctoral fellowship as well as the National Institute of Mental Health fellowship while completing her PhD studies in the Epidemiology and Public Health Department of the Yale University School of Medicine. She completed her master's degree in neuropsychology from the University of Otago (New Zealand), and her undergraduate double honors degree in Biology and Psychology from McMaster University (Canada).
In terms of civic responsibility, Dr. Stevens has served on numeous committees and boards of directors of community-based organizations, as well as served as founding member of several local and state non-profit organizations. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Youth and Family Services of Haddam-Killingworth, Steering Committee for Connecticut Public Allies, an organization dedicated towards youth leadership development, and the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven Advisory Board for Parents and Communities for Kids.