Two College of Human Medicine Faculty Named Red Cedar Distinguished Professors

February 20, 2026

Natoshia R. Cunningham, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine, and Cristian Meghea, PhD, professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, have been named Red Cedar Distinguished Professors. 

This honor recognizes outstanding faculty and enhances the stature of MSU’s intellectual work to national and global prominence. 

Natoshia Cunningham is the director of the HELP PAIN Lab, where her research focuses on developing and testing psychological treatments for youth with chronic painful health conditions, studying neural mechanisms of pediatric pain, and increasing access to pediatric behavioral health care. She leads a seven-site U.S.-Canada dissemination implementation trial of a cognitive behavioral intervention she developed and found to be effective for managing common symptoms affecting youth with lupus, as well as a project to increase access to pediatric behavioral health care in schools for students across Michigan.

“An international leader in the field of pediatric pain, Dr. Cunningham combines groundbreaking research with a heart for service,” said Nara Parameswaran, PhD, senior associate dean for research. “Her leadership within the College of Human Medicine community and her dedication to improving the lives of youth living with chronic conditions make her an ideal recipient of this distinguished professorship.”

Cristian Meghea is an expert in women’s health, maternal and child health, global health, health services research, and health economics. He is director and founder of the Maternal Health Lab, with Lee Anne Roman, leading a program of research and evaluation to reduce maternal morbidity, mortality and disparities.

Additionally, he is a principal investigator of the Multilevel Interventions for Maternal Health and Disparities (MIRACLE) Center, one of the few national NIH-funded Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence, and the only one in Michigan.

“Dr. Meghea is an internationally recognized leader whose work directly impacts the health and equity of tens of thousands of pregnant and postpartum individuals and their families each year,” said Parameswaran “His work has been widely influential at the community, state, national and international levels. We are delighted his immense contributions to Michigan and the global community are recognized with this distinguished professorship.”

More about Natoshia R. Cunningham, PhD

“I am both deeply humbled and extremely proud to receive this distinguished honor, and this recognition energizes me to continue my research to improve outcomes for pediatric populations,” said Cunningham, a licensed clinical psychologist whose has dedicated her career to expanding care for children with chronic painful conditions.

As a 2025-2026 Fulbright US Scholar to Spain, Cunningham is investigating the intersection of gender, chronic pain and substance use disorders with a team of investigators at the University of Murcia. While based in Spain, she is also working with colleagues at the University of Malaga to develop a culturally adapted version of a cognitive behavioral program she developed for pediatric functional abdominal pain disorders.

Cunningham holds a number of current or recent grants (currently totaling over $3 million dollars) from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, and several foundational sources, including the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance-Arthritis Foundation.  She has over 70 publications in leading peer-reviewed journals in her field, including Pediatrics, Pain, and Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

More about Cristian Meghea, PhD

“I am honored to be awarded the Red Cedar Distinguished Professorship. It is a reflection of our longstanding community-engaged work to improve maternal health and reduce disparities, with health, policy, and community partners,” said Meghea.

Meghea’s research focuses on improving women’s health in low resource settings with a collaborative, community-engaged, multidisciplinary, and global approach. The broad goal of this research is to use the prenatal and perinatal period as a window of opportunity to improve the long-term health of women and their families and to reduce health disparities.

The community-partnered work he leads addressing maternal morbidity, mortality, and reducing disparities is currently supported by more than $21 million awarded by National Institutes of Health (NIH). Over the years, his research, evaluation, and quality improvement projects have been supported by over $70 million from federal, state, and foundation sources. His published work in journals including JAMA Open Network, JAMA Pediatrics, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Pediatrics, American Journal of Public Health, and European Journal of Public Health has more than 1,300 citations.