Al Pheley, Ph.D.

Al Pheley, Ph.D., earned his doctorate in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health. He also holds a Master's in Clinical Psychology from North Dakota State University. During the 1990's he directed the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the Hennepin County Medical Center and Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation, serving as a research mentor to several health care professionals while working on his own health services and underserved population research. From 1998 to 2002, Dr. Pheley was an Associate Professor at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Director for Clinical Research Development. While there he established the College's Center for Appalachian and Rural Health Research. In July 2002, Dr. Pheley took on the responsibilities of Professor and Chair, Department of Community and Rural Medicine at the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, VA. In this role, he continues his research, policy, and service interests in rural and Appalachian populations. He is also working to develop medical student and resident experiences in rural southwest Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia. As the College’s Assistant Dean for Clinical Research, Dr. Pheley continues to foster the research interests of junior faculty and advocate for a stronger collaborative research environment across the osteopathic profession. He is the course director of the epidemiology, public health, and evidence-based practice curriculum. He sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Rural Health for which he is the chair, and the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.