Shirley F. Marks (born 1946) is an African-American psychiatrist, the second African-American woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School.
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Early life and education
Marks was born and raised in Tyler, Texas, attending public schools through high school. She attended Spelman College and earned a bachelor's degree in biology and went on to Harvard Medical School, where she earned her doctorate in 1973. She graduated from psychiatry residency and earned a Master's of Public Health degree in 1976.
Career
Beginning in residency, Marks researched community psychiatry and psychiatric epidemology. Her professional career began in 1976, when she became a professor at Baylor College of Medicine and directed the local Veterans Affairs outpatient addiction program. In the 1990s, she began to work with incarcerated women and with women who have experienced significant trauma. She has raised awareness of depression, suicide (especially of young black men), and violence against women as public health concerns. She has also advocated for greater cultural awareness among psychiatric providers.