Lehigh University Welcomes Indigenous Health Expert Dr. Christine Makosky Daley
Dr Christine Makosky Daley will join Lehigh University’s College of Health on 1 August. She brings expertise in reducing health disparities among Native American populations. Her appointment includes co-directing the new Institute for Indigenous Studies (IIS). Daley currently serves as a professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center. There, she leads the Center for American Indian Community Health. She also oversees a mobile clinic offering primary care screenings to remote Native communities.
Her research targets chronic diseases such as lung cancer, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular conditions. She has studied the effects of COVID-19 on Indigenous populations as well. Beyond research, Daley trains Native advocates through the Native Research Ambassadors Program. At Lehigh, she will continue projects funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. The IIS, which she will co-direct, aims to enhance physical, mental, spiritual, and cultural wellbeing in Indigenous communities globally. Daley holds a Ph.D. in applied medical anthropology from the University of Connecticut. Her work bridges academic research with direct community support.
The IIS will expand Lehigh’s focus on Indigenous health under Daley’s leadership. Her ongoing projects and outreach efforts will address long-standing health gaps. The institute’s mission covers medical, cultural, and advocacy-based solutions for Native populations.
