Michelle S. Ballan, PhD                                                                                                         

Professor and Associate Dean for Research, School of Social Welfare
Professor, Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine
Email: Michelle.Ballan@stonybrook.edu
Phone: 631-304-5953

Bioethics and Disability

Dr. Ballan's research, teaching and service are dedicated to individuals with disabilities and their families. Within the overarching focus of her program of research, she has pursued two interrelated sub-domains, namely: 1) intimate partner violence, a public health concern that disproportionately impacts individuals with disabilities; and 2) sexual and reproductive justice, an aspect of human development that uniquely impacts quality of life among the vast majority of disabled individuals. She has published more than 40 manuscripts and books, and has served as the Principal Investigator on several disability focused grants from private and state foundations. She was recently awarded the 2019 researcher-practitioner fellowship by the Center for Victim Research.  Dr. Ballan has won numerous teaching awards, including the prestigious 2010 Columbia University Presidential Teaching Award, which is awarded to only five professors across the university each year.  Dr. Ballan mentors international human rights disability advocates affiliated with the Columbia University Institute for the Study of Human Rights. She is a board member for Services for the Underserved and has worked as a practitioner in various community settings with individuals with disabilities including the New Jersey Brain Injury Association and Safeplace. She is the recipient of the 2015 Mid Career Exemplary Leader Award for the National Association of Social Workers-New York City Chapter.