Melissa Ann Stockton
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.
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.
Post-Graduate Training
T32 Post-doctoral Fellow in Global Mental Health Implementation Science, Columbia University Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute, 2020-2023.
Postdoctoral Research, PI: Andrew Medina-Marino, Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, Cape Town, South Africa, 2020-2023.
Inter-CFAR Fellowship Program in Implementation science, Johns Hopkins University, 2020-2021.
Post-doctoral Data Analyst, UNC Carolina Population Center, 2021-2022.
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, NIH Summer Institute for Randomized Trials of Behavioral Interventions , 2024-2025.
Permanent linkT32 Post-doctoral Fellow in Global Mental Health Implementation Science, Columbia University Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute, 2020-2023.
Postdoctoral Research, PI: Andrew Medina-Marino, Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, Cape Town, South Africa, 2020-2023.
Inter-CFAR Fellowship Program in Implementation science, Johns Hopkins University, 2020-2021.
Post-doctoral Data Analyst, UNC Carolina Population Center, 2021-2022.
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, NIH Summer Institute for Randomized Trials of Behavioral Interventions , 2024-2025.
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
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.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 : Gender in HIV and mental illness stigma and opportunities for intervention in Malawi. International Conference on HIV Treatment, Pathogenesis, and Prevention Research (INTEREST) 2025, Windhoek, Namibia 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.
Dao TTD, Gaynes BN, Pence BW, Mphonda SM, Kulisewa K, Udedi M, Stockton MA, Kramer J, Waddell KG, Faidas M, Mortensen H, Bhushan NL.: Friendship Bench intervention to address depression and improve HIV care engagement among adolescents living with HIV in Malawi: Study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. PLoS One 20: e0302666, Mar 2025.
Stockton MA, Mazinyo EW, Mlanjeni L, Ngcelwane N, Nogemane K, Nobatyi P, Sweetland AC, Basaraba C, Greene MC, Bezuidenhout C, Grobler C, Wall MM, Medina-Marino A, Wainberg ML.: Validation of screening instruments for alcohol and substance use disorders among men and women in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Drug Alcohol Depend 268: 112559, Jan 2025.
Apreku A, Abu-Ba'are GR, Dada D, Foster M, Stockton MA, Aidoo-Frimpong GA, Kuffour OFO, Adjei G, Manu A, Torpey K, Nyblade L, Nelson LE, Logie CH.: Examining Experiences of Gender Identities, Roles, and Relations among Men with Same-Gender Sexual Histories: Implications of Gender Nonconformity on Access to Quality Healthcare in Urban Ghana. J Urban Health 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 2025.
Parcesepe AM, Stockton M, Bernard C, Kanguya T, Kwobah EK, Lopez A, Murenzi G, Ross J, Minga A, Maruri F, Tlali M, Goodrich S, Perazzo H, Musabyimana F, Nimkar S, Lancaster K, Consortium I.: Prevalence and co-occurrence of symptoms of mental and substance use disorders among people with HIV age 40 and older in low- and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional study. J Int AIDS Soc October 2024.
Stockton MA, Mazinyo EW, Mlanjeni L, Sweetland AC, Scharf JY, Nogemane K, Ngcelwane N, Basaraba C, Bezuidenhout C, Sansbury G, Olivier D, Grobler C, Wall MM, Medina-Marino A, Nobatyi P, Wainberg ML.: Validation of screening instruments for common mental disorders and suicide risk in south African primary care settings. J Affect Disord 362: 161-168, Oct 2024.
Mootz JJ, de Vos L, Stockton M, Sweetland AC, Kann B, Seijo C, Bezuidenhout C, Suleman A, Feliciano P, Dos Santos PF, Shelton R, Palinkas LA, Wainberg ML.: Providers' perspectives of barriers and facilitators to scale-up of mental health care in the public health delivery system of Mozambique: a qualitative inquiry. BMC Health Serv Res 24: 1138, Sep 2024.