Joseph L. Pearson MS, DrPH
Dr. Pearson has nearly 20 years of experience in analyzing and identifying the public health priorities and needs of South Carolina. His professional history includes work at all levels of disease prevention. Dr. Pearson has a considerable administrative background, having worked in management positions in clinical care, academia and the non-profit sector. He has also served as principal investigator or director for numerous grant-funded initiatives—ranging from public health preparedness to organizational capacity building. He has worked with a diverse array of public health practice initiatives and has served in leadership roles for several statewide efforts. Notably, Dr. Pearson served as the inaugural chair of the board of directors for Eat Smart, Move More SC and is a current member of the board governance committee. He previously served as the vice-chair of the steering and advisory council for the SC Cardiovascular Health Program and chaired the oversight committee for the state’s initial comprehensive funding award. Dr. Pearson also currently serves as the facilitator for the external leadership team for the state’s Community Transformation Grant, which addresses risk factors for chronic disease through community-driven strategies.
Dr. Pearson has an extensive background in chronic disease prevention with more than a decade of experience in clinical cardiovascular health services. He applied his background in exercise science in work as an exercise physiologist in cardiac rehabilitation programs in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. He worked for nearly 10 years as program manager for the maintenance cardiac rehab program at McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence. That work led to his engagement in many community-based initiatives and connected him with state-level committee work with the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control and the SC Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Association.
Dr. Pearson began his career with the University of South Carolina in 2003, following the completion of his doctoral coursework in public health. As a research associate and adjunct instructor at the USC Arnold School of Public Health, Dr. Pearson has served in numerous roles for the Arnold School and the University. He served as both director of special projects for the Office of the Dean (Arnold School) and Homeland Security liaison for the Office of the Vice President for Research and Health Sciences (USC). In those roles, Dr. Pearson carried out a variety of duties and led numerous strategic initiatives. Notably, Dr. Pearson was instrumental in coordinating the development of the University’s Pandemic Preparedness Plan. He currently serves as an adjunct instructor for graduate courses in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior.
In 2007, Dr. Pearson helped to establish the SC Public Health Institute, serving as the Institute’s first deputy director and, ultimately, director. In 2011, the Public Health Institute transitioned to a non-profit corporation and became the SC Institute of Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Pearson currently serves as the director of operations for the Institute, overseeing the project activities, grant initiatives and infrastructure development of the organization. In this role, he works closely with the executive director and members of the board of directors. He also maintains collaborative relationships with other similar institutes, both regionally and nationally.