Merrian Jacqueline Brooks
VerifiedUniversity of Pennsylvania · Rehabilitation Medicine
Active 1972–2026
About
Merrian Jacqueline Brooks, DO, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Adolescent Medicine) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Her clinical expertise includes adolescent primary mental and physical healthcare. Her research focuses on adolescent health services, positive indicators and health outcomes, adolescent mental health, and adolescent health in low-middle income countries, with a particular emphasis on global pediatric and adolescent health. She is actively involved in global health initiatives, including her role as Assistant Director (Botswana Based) for the David Pincus Global Health Fellowship and as Co-Director of the International Core at the Center for AIDS Research at the University of Pennsylvania. Brooks has contributed to research on adolescent mental health, HIV, and health disparities, and has published work on topics such as youth perspectives on health services and mental health in Botswana.
Research topics
- Medicine
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Family medicine
- Medical education
Selected publications
Figshare · 2026-04-10
articleOpen accessAdditional file 1. Label as WHO Trial Registration Data.
Journal of Craniofacial Surgery · 2026-05-05
articleBACKGROUND: Little is known about access to surgical care for patients with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) in Botswana, nor have the effects on both the patient and the societal level been quantified. This study aims to assess the impact of CL/P repair on patient disability and economic productivity over a 5-year period in Botswana. METHODS: A retrospective review of on-site surgical logbooks was used to identify all primary CL/P procedures from 2018 to 2022 across 6 geographically diverse hospitals throughout Botswana. Demographic and procedure-level data were collected. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated for each patient using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) reported disability weights and Botswana-specific life expectancy by sex, as well as estimates of residual disability. Averted DALYs and Botswana's GNI per capita (Atlas and Purchasing Power Parity) were used to determine the economic gains achieved over this 5-year period. RESULTS: Eighty primary CL/P procedures were performed from 2018 to 2022, of which 51.3% (n=41) were cleft lip repair and 48.7% (n=39) were cleft palate repair. The average age at surgery was 4±5 years. Average averted DALYs ranged from 231.5 to 326.1 when utilizing the GBD and Effectiveness Factor Burden of Disease Calculation, respectively. This translated into an average of $24,130.14 to $76,987.60 economic gains per procedure. When considering the total economic impact of these procedures, this translated into $1,930,411.34 to $6,159,007.69 in economic productivity based on Atlas and Purchasing Power Parity calculations. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of CL/P care in Botswana and the potential impact it has on patients and the large-scale economy. Despite the low numbers of CL/P repairs performed over this 5-year period, there was a meaningful reduction in disability and a resultant increase in the realization of economic gains, showing the need for continued investment in surgical capacity.
Figshare · 2026-04-10
articleOpen accessAdditional file 3. SPIRIT checklist.
Figshare · 2026-04-10
articleOpen accessAdditional file 1. Label as WHO Trial Registration Data.
Figshare · 2026-04-10
articleOpen accessAdditional file 3. SPIRIT checklist.
Figshare · 2026-04-10
articleOpen accessAdditional file 2. Label as informed consent form template.
Figshare · 2026-04-10
articleOpen accessAdditional file 2. Label as informed consent form template.
Adultification of Young Black Females on Their Health and Well-being: A Qualitative Study
PEDIATRICS · 2025-05-20 · 3 citations
articleBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Adultification is the process by which children, particularly Black girls, are perceived and treated as more mature or adult-like than their peers, often resulting in the denial of their childhood experiences and the imposition of adult expectations. This study seeks to explore the impact of adultification on Black girls' identity formation and the overall well-being of Black girls, which includes navigating racism and sexism in the context of institutional interactions and personal relationships. METHODS: Conducted as a qualitative inquiry, the study engaged Black girls and young Black women aged 13 to 24 years and their caregivers. Recruitment occurred primarily at a large US urban, hospital-based, adolescent specialty practice and through a community-based organization (CBO). The research design was co-led by young Black females from the CBO and used an arts-based project integrated with a semistructured interview for youth and caregivers. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 26 Black females and 25 female caregivers were enrolled in the study. Themes identified among youth participants included a desire to maintain childhood, experiences of hypersexualization, and the need for culturally sensitive mental health support. Caregivers expressed concerns regarding early sexual debut, the rapid maturation of Black girls, the criminalization of Black girls in school, and the need for improved parenting support and mental health resources. CONCLUSIONS: The study's multifaceted approach provided novel narratives from both youth and their caregivers on the impact of adultification on the well-being of young Black females. Findings underscored the necessity for interventions and policies to address racism and sexism that Black girls and young Black females face in clinical and community settings.
Journal of Adolescent Health · 2025-02-07
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingUNC Libraries · 2025-10-31
articleOpen accessSenior author
Frequent coauthors
- 32 shared
Elizabeth Lowenthal
University of Pennsylvania
- 15 shared
Ohemaa Poku
New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute
- 14 shared
Mogomotsi Matshaba
Baylor College of Medicine
- 13 shared
Elizabeth Miller
- 13 shared
Ontibile Tshume
Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Center of Excellence
- 11 shared
Tonya Arscott‐Mills
University of Pennsylvania
- 10 shared
Onkemetse Phoi
Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Center of Excellence
- 8 shared
Charisse V. Ahmed
University of California, Los Angeles
Education
- 2017
MS
University of Pittsburgh
- 2011
DO
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
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