Brett R. Harris, DrPH, is a Senior Research Scientist in the Public Health Department at NORC at the University of Chicago, President of the New York State Public Health Association (NYSPHA), and Clinical Associate Professor at the University at Albany College of Integrated Health Sciences. Throughout her career, Dr. Harris has specialized in behavioral health, with 16 years of experience in the development, implementation, and evaluation of substance use and suicide prevention initiatives. At NORC, Dr. Harris leads a suicide prevention portfolio funded by SAMHSA, CDC, and private foundations and organizations that includes specialized work focused on rural residents, LGBTQIA2S+ communities, Veterans, Tribal communities, and the intersection of substance use and suicide. In addition, Dr. Harris leads several projects related to Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) for substance use and overdose prevention.  

In addition to her role at NORC, Dr. Harris joined the Board of NYSPHA in 2018, assumed the role of President Elect in 2021, and has served as President since 2022. In her time with NYSPHA, Dr. Harris has integrated behavioral health initiatives into the association’s public health priorities, including founding and chairing a Mental Health Workgroup and spearheading a Mental Health Webinar Series, ultimately working with the APHA ISC-Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Section, and CoA to guide other affiliates in similar efforts. In recognition of this work, Dr. Harris received the APHA Mental Health Section Award, the CoA Excellence in Leadership Award, and, on behalf of NYSPHA, Outstanding Affiliate of the Year and Excellence in Climate Leadership at the 2023 Annual Meeting in Atlanta. In 2025, Dr. Harris was selected as one of Assemblymember Phil Steck’s Women of Excellence and, for the past three years, was named a New York State Power Player in Health Care by PoliticsNY. 

Prior to her time with NORC and NYSPHA, Dr. Harris spent 11 years implementing substance use and suicide prevention initiatives for the State of New York. In 2019, she was named to the de Beaumont Foundation’s 40 Under 40 Leaders in Public Health. 

Dr. Harris received her Doctor of Public Health and Master of Public Health from the University at Albany School of Public Health and her Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Cornell University. 

Candidate Statement

APHA is a leader in the battle to protect public health; I am positioned to lend a unique voice in both affiliate affairs and behavioral health as part of the Executive Board to further strengthen APHA in this battle. 

I am a proven leader at the affiliate level, serving as New York State Public Health Association (NYSPHA) President for three years, preparing me to hit the ground running on the APHA Executive Board. In addition, my agile approach has prepared me to monitor and address the emerging needs of public health professionals, something that is critical for the APHA Executive Board during this unsettling time. As NYSPHA President Elect, I spearheaded a New Directions Initiative to capture the needs, interests, perspectives, and motivations of members and potential members and used the results to guide my presidency. Then, when the new administration took office earlier this year, I brought 300 public health professionals together to discuss how we are feeling as a result of federal actions, what impact these actions will have on public health, and what NYSPHA can do to better support public health and our communities.  

What also makes me unique for the Executive Board is an 18-year public health career that focuses on substance use, mental health, and suicide prevention, areas which are under attack at the federal level. As NYSPHA President and Mental Health Workgroup founder and chair, I spearheaded a Mental Health Webinar Series and a statewide Behavioral Health Advisory Group to address emerging and evolving mental health concerns in the state. In addition, as a leader among affiliates, I am working closely with ISC-Suicide Prevention, the Mental Health Section, and the CoA to guide other affiliates in similar efforts. 

It would be my honor to earn your support and serve on the APHA Executive Board. 

View Brett Harris' CV (PDF)