Presidential Plenary and Plenary Sessions

SPR 2026 Plenary Sessions

The Society for Prevention Research 34th Annual Meeting will feature a series of plenary sessions highlighting leadership, innovation, and multilevel strategies in prevention science.

Presidential Plenary

Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm, Eastern

Bipartisan Leadership and the Strategic Role of Government-philanthropic Partnerships in Scaling Evidence-based Interventions.

Chair

Phillip W. Graham

Phillip W. Graham, DrPH, MPH

SPR President and Principal Scientist
Director for Behavioral Health Epidemiology, Implementation, and Evaluation Research, RTI International

Speakers

Jon Baron

Jon Baron, Esq.

President, Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy

Justin Milner

Justin Milner

Executive Vice President of Evidence and Evaluation, Arnold Ventures

Kelsey Soderberg

Kelsey Soderberg

Senior Policy & Partnerships Advisor, Office of Governor Wes Moore, Maryland

Plenary Session I

Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 8:30 am – 10:00 am, Eastern

Innovative Approaches: Multilevel Strategies to Tackle Systemic Barriers in Addressing Social Determinants of Health

Chairs

Frances Gardner

Frances Gardner, PhD

Professor of Child and Family Psychology, Centre for Evidence-Based Intervention, Department of Social Policy & Intervention, University of Oxford

Sarah Lindstrom Johnson

Sarah Lindstrom Johnson, PhD

Associate Professor, T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University

Speakers

Felicia A. Brown

Felicia A. Brown, ScD, MPH

Senior Research Social Epidemiologist, Center for Policy Systems Innovation, RTI International

Yeeli Mui

Yeeli Mui, PhD, MPH

Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Nason Maani

Nason Maani, PhD

Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Inequities and Global Health Policy, School of Social and Political Science, The University of Edinburgh

Plenary Session II

Thursday, May 28, 2026, 8:15 am – 9:45 am, Eastern

From Complexity to Impact: Methodological Innovations for Multilevel Prevention Science

Chairs

Bethany C. Bray

Bethany C. Bray, PhD

Interim Assistant Dean for Research, Senior Research Scientist, Institute for Health Research and Policy, Research Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago

Pablo Montero-Zamora

Pablo Montero-Zamora, PhD, MSc

Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology & Health Education, College of Education, Director, Community Health Research & Implementation Science Lab, The University of Texas at Austin

Jonathan Moyer

Jonathan Moyer, PhD

Statistician, National Institutes of Health, Office of Disease Prevention

Speakers

Mirjam Moerbeek

Mirjam Moerbeek, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Methodology and Statistics, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University

Elizabeth A. Stuart

Elizabeth A. Stuart, PhD, AM

Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Qilu Yu

Qilu Yu, PhD

Lead Biostatistician, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Office of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs

Plenary Session III

Thursday, May 28, 2026, 2:45 pm – 4:15 pm, Eastern

Multilevel Interventions for Systemic Challenges: Implementation and Dissemination

Chairs

William A. Aldridge, II

William A. Aldridge, II, PhD

Senior Implementation Specialists, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Brittany Cooper

Brittany Cooper, PhD

Professor, Human Development, Extension Specialist, Youth and Family Program, Graduate Faculty, Prevention Science Graduate Program, Washington State University

Speakers

Jacquie Brown

Jacquie Brown, MES, RSW

Principal, Jacquie Brown and Associates

Valerie B. Shapiro

Valerie B. Shapiro, PhD

Associate Professor, School of Social Welfare, Co-Director, Center for Prevention Research in Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley

Sarah C. Walker

Sarah C. Walker, PhD, MS

Research Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, School of Medicine

Plenary Session IV

Friday, May 29, 2026, 10:45 am – 12:00 pm, Eastern

Challenging Assumptions: Navigating Myths, Limits, and Promises in Multilevel Interventions

Chair

Sarah Lindstrom Johnson

Sarah Lindstrom Johnson, PhD

Associate Professor, T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University

Speakers

Felicia A. Brown

Felicia A. Brown, ScD, MPH

Senior Research Social Epidemiologist, Center for Policy Systems Innovation, RTI International

Jacquie Brown

Jacquie Brown, MES, RSW

Principal, Jacquie Brown and Associates

Nason Maani

Nason Maani, PhD

Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Inequities and Global Health Policy, School of Social and Political Science, The University of Edinburgh

Mirjam Moerbeek

Mirjam Moerbeek, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Methodology and Statistics, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University

Yeeli Mui

Yeeli Mui, PhD, MPH

Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Valerie B. Shapiro

Valerie B. Shapiro, PhD

Associate Professor, School of Social Welfare, Co-Director, Center for Prevention Research in Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley

Elizabeth A. Stuart

Elizabeth A. Stuart, PhD, AM

Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Sarah C. Walker

Sarah C. Walker, PhD, MS

Research Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, School of Medicine

Qilu Yu

Qilu Yu, PhD

Lead Biostatistician, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Office of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs