Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, PhD, is the director of Duke University’s Center for Health Policy & Inequalities Research. She also directs the Duke Clergy Health Collaborative, which has partnered with the North Carolina and Western North Carolina Conferences since 2007 to study and strengthen the holistic health of United Methodist clergy. Her work includes leading the development and testing of five interventions for clergy health, including Spirited Life and the Selah Stress Management Study, as well as directing a biennial longitudinal survey on clergy well-being that started in 2008 and is ongoing.

A clinical-community psychologist by training, Rae Jean studies how systems shape individual health and behavior. Her expertise lies in designing and testing behavior change interventions and promoting positive mental health as a foundation for long-term wellness.

Raised in Durham, she is guided by the belief that privilege carries responsibility. She finds inspiration in improving systems to support well-being and in moments of quiet reflection outdoors, where she reconnects with nature and herself.