Megan H. Bair-Merritt, MD, MSCE

Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Megan Bair-Merritt, MD, MSCE is the Chief Scientific Officer of Boston Medical Center Health System where she is responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of the research enterprise. She is leader in the field of family violence and mental health research, and is a highly-regarded research mentor. She previously transformed the fellowship program in Academic General Pediatrics from a well-regarded local program to one of the top programs in the nation. Dr. Bair-Merritt is the institutional champion for a large, integrated behavioral health project (TEAM UP) and previously served as the Executive Director for the Center for the Urban Child and Healthy Family at Boston Medical Center. She serves as the MPI of the BU CTSI. She has been a PI or co-PI on over 15 extramural awards from the Health Research and Services Administration, National Institute of Justice, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, PCORI and National Institutes of Health, as well as a T32 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Dr. Bair-Merritt is the author of over 110 peer reviewed publications. Of note, her 2010 first-author publication, ‘Reducing Maternal Intimate partner violence After the Birth of a Child: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Hawaii Healthy Start Home Visitation Program, represents one of the most substantial contributions to the field of intimate partner violence, and is one of only 30 studies to be considered as positive evidence by the United States Preventive Services Task Force in its 2018 recommendation for screening for intimate partner violence. She was an invited member of Governor Baker's Taskforce for Sexual Misconduct surveys from 2021-22.

Publications

  • Published 3/31/2026

    Matson PA, Fortenberry JD, Perin J, Flessa S, Chung SE, Huettner S, Rothman EF, Trent M, Hoff A, Ryan L, Bair-Merritt MH. Adolescent and Young Adults' Event-Level Positive Relationship Feelings and Behaviors Associated With Intimate Partner Violence. J Interpers Violence. 2026 Mar 31; 8862605261427756. PMID: 41913662.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 12/23/2025

    Fong HF, Alegría M, Nakash O, Rodriguez YL, Caldas A, Bair-Merritt M, Beardslee W, McKay M, Lindsey MA. Facilitators and Barriers to Mental Health Services for Black and Latino Children After Sexual Abuse. Acad Pediatr. 2026 Apr; 26(3):103209. PMID: 41448455.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/1/2025

    James SL, Hede S, Ewing-Crawford AT, Bhagat R, Richie N, D'Rozario M, Theodore P, Lavery B, Bentouati S, Oron AP, Gillespie CW, Ryals CA, Bair-Merritt MH, Chesley J, Jiagge E, Jolain B. Five Data-Informed Principles for Advancing Inclusive Research in Clinical Trials: A Pharma Perspective. Adv Ther. 2025 Oct; 42(10):4727-4740. PMID: 40748422.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/11/2024

    Mark TE, Bair-Merritt MH, Chung SE, Flessa SJ, Trent M, Rothman EF, Matson PA. Discordant and Concordant Substance Use and Daily Partner Violence in Adolescent and Young Adult Relationships With Baseline Dating Violence. J Adolesc Health. 2024 Jul; 75(1):69-75. PMID: 38739051.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 12/8/2023

    Stransky ML, Bremer-Kamens M, Bair-Merritt M, Howard C, Brooks C, Meill A, Morris A, Sheldrick RC. Conceptualizations of health, ability to act upon those definitions and desire for supports among families from historically marginalized communities. Child Care Health Dev. 2024 Jan; 50(1):e13214. PMID: 38062906.

    Read at: PubMed

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Websites

Education

  • University of North Carolina School of Medicine, MD
  • Tufts University, BA

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