Rate My Professor Marlo Vernon

Dr. Marlo Vernon is an Associate Professor at Augusta University with appointments in the Department of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia and the Department of Health Management, Economics, and Policy in the School of Public Health. She earned a Ph.D. in Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences from Augusta University in 2018, an MPH in Public Health Education and Promotion from the University of South Carolina in 2003, and a BA in English Language and Literature from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2001. Dr. Vernon leads NIH-, HRSA-, and AHA-funded research focused on improving maternal, child, and cardiovascular health through implementation science and community-engaged approaches in rural Georgia. Her research interests include maternal mortality and morbidity, cancer prevention, Food is Medicine, and the Socioecological Model of Health. She has received several honors, including election as a Fellow of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine in 2026, appointment to the Georgia Commission on Maternal and Infant Health in 2025, the Dr. John Carrigg Alumni Award from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2020, and the Scholar-in-Training Award from the American Association for Cancer Research in 2020. Recent publications include “A Breastfeeding and Parenting Initiative for Expecting Mothers-Systematically Braiding Two Interventions” (2025), “Multilevel Insights into Obesity, Race/Ethnicity, and Survival in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer in Georgia” (2025), and “Age-related disparities in survival following colorectal cancer diagnosis in an underserved community in Georgia: A retrospective cohort analysis” (2025). Dr. Vernon serves on university committees such as the Lyceum Committee and Purposeful Choice Committee, as well as professional roles including membership on the Georgia Commission on Maternal and Infant Health and leadership positions in the American Public Health Association.

She has contributed to service roles such as Chair of Hope House since 2019 and Vice President of the BeClear Statewide Drug Free Initiative from 2020 to 2024. Her work emphasizes community-based efforts to address health disparities in underserved populations.