Faculty Profile for Dr. Elizabeth M Ekren

profile photo for Dr. Elizabeth M Ekren
Dr. Elizabeth M Ekren
Postdoctoral Scholar — Translational Health Research Center
Scholarly/Creative Work

Biography Section

Biography and Education

 Dr. Elizabeth Ekren is a postdoctoral researcher at the Translational Health Research Center. Her primary expertise is in the areas of international development studies, policy and legal analysis, and multidimensional empowerment and resiliency frameworks. Dr. Ekren oversees and supports projects exploring interdisciplinary conceptualizations of resilience and the enhanced application of translational research approaches. Dr. Ekren has conducted a wide range of applied policy and program evaluation research in diverse private-sector, governmental, and academic contexts. Dr. Ekren received her Ph.D. in Development Studies from the University of Bonn, Germany. She received her Master’s of Science degree in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. She received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Russian Language from Yale University.

Research Interests

 Development Studies, Institutional Analysis, Mixed-Methods Approaches, Social Determinants of Health, Resilience and Capability Frameworks, Systems Thinking

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • Ekren, E. M., Maleki, S., Curran, C. M., Watkins, C. L., & Villagran, M. M. (2025). Health differences between rural and non-rural Texas counties based on 2023 County Health Rankings. BMC Health Services Research, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-12109-2
  • Ekren, E. M., Tomasso, M. E., & Villagran, M. M. (2024). Resilience as a Concept for Convergence Across Health, Systems, and Well-Being: An AI-Augmented Mapping of 50 Years of Resilience Research. Sustainability, 16(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310333
  • Maleki, S., Dede-Bamfo, N., Ekren, E. M., Mohammadalizadehkorde, M., & Villagran, M. M. (2024). Mapping Access to Children’s Hospitals in Texas. Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(2), 140. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21020140
  • Ekren, E. M. (2021). Agency, opportunity structure and empowerment in everyday refugee life: enduring and overcoming challenges of daily living in Cologne refugee shelters. Bonn, Germany: Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn. Retrieved from https://bonndoc.ulb.uni-bonn.de/xmlui/handle/20.500.11811/9416
  • Al Munajed, D., & Ekren, E. M. (2020). Exploring the impact of multidimensional refugee vulnerability on distancing as a protective measure against COVID-19: The case of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Turkey. Journal of Migration and Health, 1–2, 100023. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2020.100023