Dr. Willis is a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Social Policy, where his focus is on the intersection of child health and broader community-based early childhood systems. Before joining the Center for the Study of Social Policy, Dr. Willis had previously been the Executive Director of the Perigee Fund, where his work was focused on the promotion of early relational health, the strengthening of the social and emotional development and advancing the field of Infant Mental Health. A Developmental-Behavioral pediatrician, Dr. Willis was a clinician in Oregon for more than 30 years with a practice focused on early childhood development and family therapy. Prior to his work with the Perigee Fund, Dr. Willis served as director of the Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Services at the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Maternal Child Health Bureau.
During his career, Dr. Willis also has been a Harris Mid-Career Fellow with childhood development nonprofit ZERO TO THREE; the past president of the Oregon Pediatric Society; an executive member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Section on Early Education and Child Care; and chair of the AAP’s Board’s Early Brain & Child Development Strategic Initiative.
