The president and chief medical officer of OccMD Group P.A. in Dallas, Dr. Melissa Tonn holds multiple appointments at medical facilities and educational institutions in Texas. Dr. Melissa Tonn serves as a clinical assistant professor of population health at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas (UT). The university conducts research on population health through the Population Research Center’s Population Health Initiative (PHI).

The interdisciplinary research program provides population health researchers across the UT campus with the developmental resources to maintain productivity and facilitate the highest-quality research. Federal and foundation grants supporting large-scale research pave the road for advancements in population health science and cultivate the necessary knowledge base to reduce health disparities and address population health needs.

Development resources offered through the PHI project support and extend research agendas of the UT faculty. The project also creates a networking platform that connects faculty to collaborators and mentors from a diverse array of disciplines, thereby enhancing interdisciplinary frameworks and methodological approaches. The heightened interdisciplinary focus enables faculty to address complex population issues at the national, regional, and community levels.