Public Health Joy: Community Power, Health Equity, and Leadership in Action

As a community health educator, today’s guest shines a light on Black women’s sexual health by giving a voice to issues that are often faced but rarely talked about. Dr. Shemeka Thorpe is an award-winning sexuality educator, researcher, and international speaker whose research focuses on the sexual well-being of Black women using sex-positive and pleasure-centered frameworks. She has published ove...

If you work in public health, then you are no doubt aware that, statistically, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from birth-related complications than their white counterparts. And while it’s important to understand the reasons behind these unacceptable and heartbreaking numbers, the more pressing question is: what is being done about it? Joining Dr. Joyee Washington on the po...

Traditionally, there are a number of power imbalances that exist between foundations and nonprofits in the public health space, but trust-based philanthropy involves creating and sustaining more collaborative, transparent, and holistic partnerships between grantmakers and grantees. To help us explore how we can reimagine funding, power, and research through trust-based philanthropy to drive positi...

Research is often a dirty word in communities. The harm caused by academic researchers can only be counteracted by building trust and relationships in an authentic way. And that doesn't mean just offering a gift card for all their data! It means prioritizing the strengths and needs of communities in addition to fairly compensating them for their time. Today we are joined by The Community Lady...

The sooner we acknowledge that public health issues are linked to urban planning, community building, racism, and epigenetics, the sooner we can solve public health crises across the world! Today on The Public Health Joy Podcast, we are joined by the founder and CEO of Deep Consultants, urban planning scholar, and TED Talk alumnus, Dr. Deepika Andavarapu. Dr. Andavarapu is a strategic systems thin...

Many of us have experienced a pivotal moment in our lives where we couldn’t just keep talking, we had to take action. And sometimes the best way to ensure action takes place is to enlist the help of your community, rather than attempt to go at it alone. Such was the experience of Jennifer McKeever, Founder and Managing Partner of WE Public Health, a growing collective of women consultants, all of...

Welcome to a fresh year and a brand new season filled with exciting expectations! In season 3, we're diving into the theme of "Exponential Growth." In this premiere episode, we explore what's on the horizon for Season 3, the innovative challenges Dr. Joyee is embracing for personal and professional development, and strategies for setting expectations and creating plans to catalyz...

Challenges we face as public health researchers and professionals can often feel like a mountain. How do we overcome these challenges? We have to learn how to move the mountains. Join Dr. Joyee on a transformative journey in the season 2 finale of The Public Health Joy Podcast, where she shares invaluable insights gained from overcoming hurdles in public health research. From navigating technical...

Are you a public health professional who feels overwhelmed and exhausted? Perhaps you love your career, but you just don’t feel fulfilled and you’re beginning to wonder if your only option is to quit. You might be experiencing burnout! Today, we speak with rest coach, Marissa McKool about what it means to prevent burnout in the public health space and how we can “put the world down and rest."...

A precedent of overworking yourself and only resting when you hit burnout in order to work even more has been set in the workplace and it has to change. In this episode, we are joined by the award-winning educator and social scientist, Dr. Courtney McCluney to hear about her research in codeswitching and how she has found freedom in wellness and reimagining how we should work through her company,...

When it comes to qualitative research, lived experience offers a wealth of valuable information that can shape and enhance the quality and relevance of public health studies. Few researchers know this better than Dr. Marissa Robinson, DrPH, MPH, RPCV, a strategic leader, visionary, and disruptor within the field of infectious disease. In today's episode, Dr. Robinson shares her perspective on...

In this episode we are talking with Marline Edmond founder of Plug Communications, LLC about how she is developing culturally competent health communication strategies in " Plain Language U Get"  to promote equitable health information targeting the Black diaspora. Marline is a public health communications strategist, a third-year postgraduate student at Howard University Cathy Hughes Sc...

Community-engaged research is a collaborative and participatory approach to public health research and evaluation that includes those affected by the issue at hand. Ultimately, this means going beyond the textbook to understand these issues from a different (and sometimes uncomfortable) perspective. In this episode, we talk to community psychologist and committed equity and social justice advocate...

In this BONUS episode, we continue with part two of our conversation with Chioma Nnaji about the challenges of manuscript writing and publishing. During the first half of our conversation, we learned about the work Chioma does at the intersections of immigrant rights and racial justice in public health along with the biggest challenges of manuscript writing within public health. For the second par...

Serving your community is central to public health. But what happens when particular communities are excluded from certain spaces? Or are prevented from being included in important research and sharing of knowledge? These are some of the key questions that today’s guest, Chioma Nnaji, MEd, MPH, has grappled with on her journey as an organizer, community health worker, and researcher. Today’s episo...

When it comes to data collection and research within indigenous communities, we need to honor the sacred stories of those communities in order to support the decolonization of this data. In this episode, public health entrepreneur, Heidi Berthoud, joins the conversation as we discuss importance of listening to indigenous communities during data collection, how we can support them more authenticall...

We have made huge strides in how we treat mental health over the course of the past century, from the development of targeted pharmaceuticals to establishing newer and more effective methods of therapy. Yet, the possibilities of utilizing emergent technologies in treating mental health have largely been left unexplored until now. In this episode, we discuss the role of virtual reality (VR) in ment...

How can we equip those in faith-based spaces to guide not just the spiritual needs of their communities but their overall health too? This is the question posed by today’s guest, Ericka Horne, who is the CEO and Founder of AKCIRE Consulting, LLC, where she supports nonprofits and faith-based organizations with program planning and implementation.  In this episode, Ericka offers some insight into h...

In this episode, we are talking with Tamara Mason about her work with the March of Dimes and as a doula to support Black maternal health and Black birthing joy.  This is where research meets relationship and together, we will find our Public Health Joy!   Key Points From This Episode: An introduction to today’s guest and topic of conversation. [0:00:27] Tamara tells us about who she is and what sh...

In this episode, we are talking with Brandon Johnson about building connections and saving lives as a tireless advocate for positive mental health and suicide prevention services. This is where research meets relationship. Together, we will find our public health joy.  Key Points From This Episode: Introducing today’s guest, Brandon J. Johnson, his work with SAMHSA, and his new role as Acting Bran...

In this episode, we are talking with Princess Jennings also known as The Data Bounty Hunter about what it takes to track down and collect data with the community.  This is where research meets relationship and together, we will find our Public Health Joy!   Timestamps: 0:02 What is community tracking services and what does it do?  3:38 The importance of building rapport with clients.  7:34 The imp...

In this episode, I’m sharing what my life is like as a Black researcher in this space and how I learned to own my identity and show up unapologetically.   This is where research meets relationship and together, we will find our Public Health Joy!  Time stamps: 0:00 Introduction 2:00 Transitioning from public school to private school 11:00 Being Black in White spaces 18:00 What does it mean to be a...

In this episode, we’re talking with Araba Assan about the secrets to not just effective, but joyful public health research and evaluation.  This is where research meets relationship and together, we will find our Public Health Joy!   Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 2:45 Araba Assan’s journey into public health.  6:49 The importance of following your passion and following your interest.  10:05 You ar...

In this episode, I’m sharing the story of transforming failure to joy on my PhD journey and how I got over to the other side. This is where research meets relationship and together, we will find our Public Health Joy!   Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:00 My first attempt at a PhD 13:00 My greatest failure 14:00 My next move 18:00 My 2nd attempt at a PhD 20:00 My lupus diagnosis 23:00 My dissertation and...

In this episode, we’re talking with Mississippi native Dr. Marshae McNeal about how she is driving positive impact as she shares her public health journey from community college to community researcher. This is where research meets relationship and together, we will find our Public Health Joy!     0:00 Introduction 2:26 Dr. McNeal’s background and how she got into public health.  4:24 The benefits...