Shacham Named to Newest FOCUS St. Louis Leadership Class

Shacham Named to Newest FOCUS St. Louis Leadership Class

Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., professor of Behavioral Science and Health Equity, has been named to the FOCUS St. Louis 51st Leadership St. Louis (LSL) class.

Leadership St. Louis is a program for experienced leaders who have demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the St. Louis region, according to FOCUS St. Louis. Shacham was one of 57 people selected to take part in the 2026-27 class.

The LSL curriculum explores issues such as economic and workforce development, education, health care, local government, arts and culture and more. Leadership St. Louis is designed to challenge participants' thinking, expose them to new ideas and perspectives, and promote discussion, reflection and action.

"I am looking forward to participating in Leadership St. Louis this year and representing Saint Louis University's College for Public Health and Social Justice," Shacham said. "The curriculum focuses on exposing St. Louis leaders to systems and programs across the region to allow for the development of innovative solutions to some of the challenges our region experiences. We are at a crossroads at the University where we can lead our partners in community, government, and industry to respond to some of our regional complex challenges."

Leadership St. Louis is part of the continuum of civic leadership programs offered by FOCUS St. Louis. Previous SLU College for Public Health and Social Justice (CPHSJ) alumni of Leadership St. Louis include Ellen Barnidge, Ph.D., interim vice president for research, and Leslie McClure, Ph.D., dean of the College for Public Health and Social Justice.

Shacham has been at SLU since 2011, and she currently serves as CPHSJ's Associate Dean for Research. Her research interests include infectious and chronic disease predictive spatial modeling, community and geospatial health determinants, examining clinical practice to improve health outcomes, the intersection of public and private organizations to improve public health, and sexual health.

Shacham earned a doctorate in health behavior from Indiana University, an M.P.E. from Washington University in St. Louis, and an M.Ed. in health promotion and behavior from the University of Georgia. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Rutgers University.