Melissa Ann Stockton, MSPH, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Associate Scholar, Center for Global Health (CGH), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Department: Psychiatry
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
3535 Market St
Suite 200
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Suite 200
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Publications
Education:
BA (International Affairs, Global Public Health)
The George Washington University, 2013.
MSPH (Epidemiology)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2018.
Ph.D. (Epidemiology)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2020.
Permanent linkBA (International Affairs, Global Public Health)
The George Washington University, 2013.
MSPH (Epidemiology)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2018.
Ph.D. (Epidemiology)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2020.
Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Stockton is a social epidemiologist and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. She received a career developmental award (K01) to integrate an intervention addressing intersectional HIV-mental illness stigma into depression care and conduct a hybrid effectiveness-implementation pilot among depressed adults living with HIV in Malawi. My work focuses on implementing and evaluating evidence-based interventions that both address intersectional stigma and deliver high-quality psychological care to vulnerable populations. She has expertise in stigma, HIV, mental health, and implementation science.Selected Publications
Kimani SM, Suneja G, Bula A, Wu C, Khatri A, Bakshi N, Hanson OR, Mangadu A, Tsidya M, Stockton MA, Knettel BA, Watt MH.: Development and psychometric properties of a general cancer stigma scale. Int J Cancer Dec 2025.West JS, MA Stockton, HW Francis, RD Stelmach, E Troutman Adams, JD Kraemer, K Saalim, MI Wallhagen, M Nyarko, N Boafo, NAV Owusu, E Gyamera, SL Smith, & L Nyblade. : Lancet Commission on Hearing Loss: d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Stigma Measurement Tools. Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting Nov 12-15. Boston, MA. Nov 2025.
Selena Kleber, Stephen Kimani, Melissa Watt, Gita Suneja, Chimwemwe Mphande, Matthew Painschab, Melissa A. Stockton: Association Between Stigma and Wellbeing Among Kaposi Sarcoma and Lymphoma Patients in Malawi. AORTIC 2025: Advancing Cancer Care Across Africa: Equity Through Empowering Research and Education, Hamnet, Tunisia Nov 2025.
Stockton MA, Waddell K, Mphonda SM, Bhushan NL, January J, Masulani C, Brown G, Udedi MM, Pence BW, Chiwanda J, Gaynes BN, Kulisewa K.: Suicide assessment and feasible evidence-based treatments for adolescents living with HIV in Malawi: Protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. PLoS One 20: e0330847, Sep 2025.
Steven Mphonda, Mwawi Ngoma, Katherine Waddell, Griffin Sansbury, Kazione Kulisewa ,Milton Wainberg, Mina C. Hosseinipour,Michael M. Udedi, Brian W. Pence, Bradley N. Gaynes, Melissa A. Stockton: Barriers and facilitators to integrating the Friendship Bench into Non-Communicable Disease care in Malawi: a qualitative study. PloS One. Lambert Zixin Li, National University of Singapore, SINGAPORE (eds.). Plos One, 2(9): e0000428, Sep 2025.
Brooks, Merrian J., Choe, Karen, Eschliman, Evan L., Poku, Ohemaa B., Setumo, Samson B. L., Entaile, Patlo, Morapedi, Kealeboga, Sebogodi, Kelebogile, Stockton, Melissa, Ho-Foster, Ari, Nyblade, Laura, Yang, Lawrence H.: A Qualitative Study of the Adaptation of a Facility-Level Training Using “What Matters Most” to Reduce Intersectional Stigma Toward Pregnant Women Living With HIV in Botswana. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care Page: 10.1097/JNC.0000000000000569, July 2025.
Stockton, Melissa A, Jeon, Sangchoon, Akyirem, Samuel, Zigah, Edem, Wallace-Atiapah, Nii Dromo, Abu-Ba’are, Gamji Rabiu, Amo-Oto, Richard Panix, Ofori, Irene, Adu, Michael, Torpey, Kwasi: Symptoms of common mental disorders and suicidality among sexually diverse men who have sex with men in Ghana. PLOS Mental Health 2(7): e0000331, July 2025.
Stockton MA, Kramer J, Chienda J, Morrison AM, Tikhiwa HA, Sansbury G, Zumazuma A, Mortensen H, Ng'oma M, Nyirongo P, Mtonga I, Devadas J, Chiliza B, Sefasi AP, Mhango P, Gaynes BN, Pence BW, Kulisewa K.: Applying the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework to psychosis stigma in Malawi. PLOS Ment Health May 2025.
Sarah L. Rossi, Laura Limarzi-Klyn, Melissa A. Stockton, Jack Kramer, Katherine G. Waddell, Steven Mphonda, Bradley N. Gaynes, Kazione Kulisewa, Michael Udedi, Brian W. Pence, Nivedita L. Bhushan, Bulent Turan, Mina Hosseinipour, Lawrence Yang, Milton L. Wainberg: Understanding Internalized HIV Stigma in Malawi: Integrating Scale Responses and Qualitative Perspectives The 16th AIDS Impact Conference, Casablanca, Morocco May 2025.
Melissa A. Stockton, Sarah L. Rossi, Laura Limarzi-Klyn, Jack Kramer, Katherine G. Waddell, Steven Mphonda, Bradley N. Gaynes, Kazione Kulisewa, Michael Udedi, Brian W. Pence, Nivedita L. Bhushan, Bulent Turan, Mina Hosseinipour, Lawrence Yang, Milton L. Wainberg : Drivers, Manifestations, and Impacts of HIV and Mental Illness Stigma in Malawi and the Potential for Multi-Condition Stigma Intervention. International Conference on HIV Treatment, Pathogenesis, and Prevention Research (INTEREST) 2025, Windhoek, Namibia May 2025.