Lisa Peyton is the Founding CEO & President of The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness. Her work as a passionate advocate for women’s health was spurred by Mother’s untimely death at age 64 from heart disease in 2006, after which Lisa established Black Women’s Wellness Day, an annual summit now in its 15th year that empowers women and girls to sustain healthy, wellness-centered lives. The Foundation is an outgrowth and progression of this work which has mobilized a movement in Greater Madison and across Wisconsin to intentionally address and improve Black women’s health. In January 2020, Peyton and team opened Dane County’s first Black Women’s Wellness Center after a successful crowdfunding effort that garnered Lisa and FFBWW national recognition as a GoFundMe Hero making significant local impact. Each year, the Foundation reaches and serves over 7,000 women and their families through a broad array of programs, services and advocacy work, and has grown to have national reach through its many strategic partnerships and its growing network of Wellness Ambassadors now representing 15 states across the USA.

Based on her work and impact, Lisa was appointed in 2018 to serve on newly elected Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ Health Policy Advisory Council through which she was able to influence proposed policies addressing maternal and child health and health disparities in our State. In 2020, she was appointed by Governor Evers to serve on the first ever Wisconsin Health Equity Council, a statewide body that recently released a comprehensive report, Building a Better Wisconsin: Investing in the Health and Well-being of Wisconsinites, to advance health equity for all.

Lisa also previously served as Assistant Vice President of Life, Learning and Events at Summit Credit Union (2014-2018) where she and her team led the company’s efforts on Diversity & Inclusion, Employee Wellness, Financial Education, Community Giving, and Corporate Events.

An experienced leader, manager, and educator, Lisa has led impactful work over the past 20+ years spanning the PreK – 16 education, non-profit, women’s health, and financial service sectors. She is actively engaged in a number of local efforts to promote thriving, sustainable communities, and serves on the board of the United Way of Dane County, and previously on the boards of Unity Point-Meriter Health, the Center for Resilient Cities, the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute Advisory Board, Sustain Dane, and A Fund for Women. Among her lasting contributions to community is the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s highly successful DoIT Information Technology Academy (ITA), a pre-college technology training & college access program she conceived, designed and launched with colleagues in 1999 and now in its 24th year.

Lisa has been widely recognized for her work in women’s health, leadership, business, and community stewardship. She is the recipient of a 2022 Brian D. Howell Excellence in Innovation Award by Madison Magazine’s Best of Madison Business Awards, and in 2021 was awarded the Jeffrey Clay Erlanger Civility in Public Discourse Award which recognizes City of Madison residents who share Erlanger’s dedication to and passion for public policy, civility, individual and human rights. In 2017, Peyton was named among local health innovators on the Madison Magazine’s 2017 M List. In 2016 she was recognized as one of 44 Most Influential African Americans in Wisconsin by Madison365 Magazine. Other honors include the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health Woman of Character Award (2015) for her efforts to mobilize Black women and partners to eliminate health disparities. She is the 2014 recipient of the Public Health Madison & Dane County Leadership Award, 2014 Brava Magazine Woman to Watch, 2014 Distinguished Community Service Award 2014 Distinguished Community Service Award issued by Madison Metropolitan Chapter of the Links, and was nominated an “Everyday Health Hero” by the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation in 2013. Additionally, she is a 2008 UW Alumni Association Forward Under Forty Award honoree for her service and impact on the world by living the Wisconsin Idea.

A Mother of five, Lisa holds a Masters of Science degree in Educational Leadership & Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also a proud former Hampton University student, home of the Pirates, where she completed her first three years of undergraduate studies.

Dr. Tiffany Green is an economist and population health scientist and a nationally recognized expert in racial/ethnic and nativity disparities in reproductive health. She is currently Assistant Professor of Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Green earned her Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her B.A. in economics from Florida A&M University. Her research focuses primarily on understanding the individual-, family-, and structural-level determinants of disparities in women’s health and birth outcomes. Dr. Green’s mission is to shed light on how and why Black women, regardless of socioeconomic status experience the worst maternal and child health outcomes.

Ariel Robbins is the Project Manager for the Dane County Health Council Care Coordination project working to eliminate black-white racial disparities in low birthweight and infant mortality through a county-wide technology-based care coordination system. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for the past 8 years on projects with varying focus areas including access to healthcare, health equity and health education. She received her Bachelors of Science in Community Health from the University of Texas at San Antonio and her Masters of Public Health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. In her downtime she enjoys volunteer work and is especially proud to mentor black youth who are experiencing adverse homelife situations.

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Dr. Terri Major-Kincade is a double board-certified neonatologist and pediatrician with over 23 years of experience as a Clinician in Neonatology, Pediatrics, Health Equity, Perinatal Health Disparities, and Neonatal/Perinatal Palliative Care. She recently launched a full-time career in the field of Pediatric Palliative Care and Hospice Medicine and currently service as Associate Professor of Pediatrics at UT Health Houston McGovern Medical School, Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital and Medical Direct for Pediatric Palliative Care.

A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dr. Terri as she is affectionately called, holds a B.S. from Prairie View A&M University, in Texas, an MD MPH from UCLA School of Medicine, Pediatric Residency and Neonatology trainings from UT Southwestern and UT Houston, and most recently Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Medicine training at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital. Her national partnerships include working with the March of Dimes, PLIDA and the Pampers Womb to World Advisory Board.

Dr. Terri is a two-time Amazon Best Selling Author and recently released two children’s Books. Her research interests include Perinatal Health Disparities and Inequities, Provider-Patient Communication, Implicit and Explicit Bias in health care, Work-life Balance, Provider Well-Being, and Effective Strategies for increasing diversity in the healthcare work force. She looks forward to the day when every baby is born healthy, every mother has an opportunity for a good pregnancy outcome and every family benefits from a legacy of equitable healthcare. She especially loves mentoring future clinicians and is a champion of self-care, and the power of writing your own story.

In her spare time, you can find Dr. Terri collecting African American dolls, reading a good book, watching a movie or enjoying some Cream Brule’! The accomplishment she is most proud of includes being married to the love of her life for almost 30 years and watching their two children grow up into amazing humans.

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Dr. Harris currently serves as the senior director of maternal health for the Black Women’s Health Imperative. She is a behavioral health scientist, with a special focus on health equity, maternal health and women’s health. She is a mother of 3, near miss survivor, doula, and birth justice advocate. She also serves as the Maternal Health Equity Advisor for the State of Maryland and the public health expert for the lactation commission in Washington DC. She received her master’s degree in public health and international development from Morehouse School of Medicine and her PhD in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Michigan.

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Dr. Diamond D. Williams (she/her) is the inaugural Associate Dean for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Nursing. Dr. Williams is a multifaceted public health leader known for her role in fostering organizational growth through thought leadership and innovation. She has a wealth of experience in community outreach and engagement, grant management, and program oversight. Her ability to proactively identify emerging needs within diverse populations and implement innovative solutions has allowed her to not only become a trusted advisor to the White House, providing valuable insights and guidance on community engagement strategies, but she was also honored in 2023 with the title Doctor of the Year by her colleagues and community members. 

As an unwavering advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, Dr. Williams is deeply committed to the development and promotion of strategic, culturally relevant programs and policies that offer equitable opportunities to those most often forgotten about or marginalized. Previously, Dr. Williams played a pivotal role in overseeing the administration of one the largest statewide grants during the COVID-19 pandemic for the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services, which focused on vaccination health equity. She and her team invested $30.8 million to over 185 grantees across all 72 counties, especially in communities with high vaccine hesitancy, historical mistrust of government, and high rates of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations. In this role, she also expertly managed over 1,000 stakeholder relationships, facilitating collaborations among health systems, academic institutions, community-based organizations, and more. Beyond her work in advocating for equitable and effective local public health practices, Dr. Williams has skillfully managed grants and organizational budgets, totaling more than a quarter of a billion dollars, and continues to assist nonprofits in increasing their funding streams that support health programming. Some of her interests include sexual health, women’s health, and maternal and child, many of which have been a part of her previous academic research. She is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC, Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, and Walden University in Minneapolis, MN. She is a proud and active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ® and the Wisconsin Public Health Association. Dr. Williams brings an infectious enthusiasm that fosters collaboration and teamwork, none of which is possible without the support of family and colleagues. She describes herself as an avid learner, community connector, people champion, and partner in health!

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Kenda Sutton-EL is the Founder and Executive Director of Birth In Color. A native of rural Virginia, Kenda focuses on Reproductive Sexual Justice, Birth Justice, Black maternal Health, Structural Racism, and organizes for Incarcerated pregnant people and human rights violations.  An Activist that trains people of color to become doulas, Trains healthcare systems and workers in racial bias training.  

Kenda Sutton-EL a true leader who started raising awareness and creating initiatives for Black Maternal Health In Virginia. Birth In Color VA is the leading organization that focuses on the care of people of color and the implementation of doulas into the workforce. Kenda holds a Bachelor’s in Health Science and is also a Doula Trainer, Diversity Equity Inclusion Consultant, and Policy Analyst, amongst other things.

Kenda had the pleasure of sitting on Vice President Kamala Harris's roundtable discussion on Reproductive Health and currently serves as the Chair of the Virginia Doula Taskforce Chair, the Chair of Greater Richmond Regional Maternal Child Health Taskforce, a member of the Virginia Maternal and Data Outcomes Taskforce, and Pregnancy Services for Incarceration Workgroup.

In 2019, Kenda Sutton-EL helped establish “Black Maternal Health Week”  and also led the campaign for Doula Medicaid Reimbursement for the state of Virginia. Her passion for reproductive justice has led her to relentlessly pursue methods of improving maternal health for women of color. She firmly believes that until every woman is safe before, during, and after childbirth, we have not done our job as a society. In 2020 Sutton-EL was the creator of Herstory in partnership with Urban One Radio centering Maternal Health. In 2021, Kenda was the recipient of the “Women of the Year’ ACHI Magazine Award and Urban One Hometown Hero Award. 2024, Kenda has been named Health Equity Advocate of the year by Families USA.

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Shantell is a born and raised Milwaukee native. Mother to 3 sons(one deceased) and grandmother to one grandson. A registered nurse, end-of-life doula, certified grief counselor, trauma-informed practitioner, certified thanatologist (study of death, dying, and bereavement), reiki practitioner, and registered yoga teacher. She is also the facilitator of Death Café MKE, holding space for people to have death related conversations. She is a strong believer in allowing individuals to have their own human experience. Shantell is the owner of Dignity With Departure, Blue Lotus Life, and the founder of Redefining Life Services Inc; the nonprofit organization of the newly developed Redefining Life Center for Grief and Healing. This spring she is launching the Safe Baby Program pilot developed to address gaps and provide supplemental support for current programs to reduce incidence of infant mortality related to unsafe sleep and abusive head trauma.

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Tara Wilhelmi leads a local grassroots community recovery and wellness organization, EOTO Culturally Rooted. She is a Certified Peer Specialist  and state trainer of Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) providing support to individuals navigating mental health, substance use and trauma recovery. Driven by her passion for positive social change and thriving, healthy communities of color she enjoys acting as a connector and seed planter working on several impactful collaborations throughout Wisconsin. As a Certified Peer Specialist and studying doula Tara subscribes to a "each one teach one" knowledge and skill sharing ideology that she believes is key to challenging systemic injustice."

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Juan Irby is a passionate birth and postpartum doula and new parent educator, who has dedicated his life to helping families through the exciting, yet challenging experiences of welcoming a new life into the world. Juan is a married father of two, and he has experienced firsthand the joys and struggles of becoming a new parent.

Juan has honed his skills as a compassionate and knowledgeable guide, helping families navigate the complexities of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. He is also the proud owner and founder of Dad to Dudla, a company that provides education and support to new parents, particularly fathers who are often overlooked in the childbirth process.

Juan’s approach to doula work is rooted in empathy, inclusivity, and a deep respect for the unique needs and desires of  each family.HE believes that every person deserves to have a positive and empowering birthing experience, and he works tirelessly to ensure that his client feels supported, informed, and in control throughout their pregnancy.

In addition to his work as a doula, Juan is also a passionate advocate for fathers and partners in the childbirth process. He believes that dads and partners have an essential role to play in the birth of their child, and he strives to empower them with the knowledge and skills they need to be active participants in the birthing process.

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Gabe Doyle serves as the Chief Health Initiatives Officer with the Foundation For Black Women’s Wellness. He has spent the past 15-plus years leading community health efforts in Milwaukee and Dane County. He began his career counseling victims of violence and designing hospital-supported, community-based programs for victims and their families. In his prior role with Milwaukee Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Gabe led and developed a new division of Community Health Workers focusing on a social determinants of health (SDoH) framework. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and spent 5 years counseling adolescents, adults and families. The persistent social, economic and environmental factors driving disparities across Wisconsin and locally in Dane County inspired Gabe to explore the root causes of inequities, to strategically collaborate, and to effectively organize & align resources towards our most vulnerable communities and members. Prior to joining the Foundation, Gabe led the direction of health investments at a major philanthropic nonprofit in Dane County. While there, he redesigned the health investment process to prioritize funding to center the experiences of Black, Indigenous, Southeast Asian, Latinx/Hispanic and other marginalized communities. As a member of the Dane County Health Council, Gabe worked closely with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness as co-chair of the Black Maternal and Child Health care-coordination initiative and the Saving our Babies Project.

Micaela Berry-Smith serves as Program Manager for Maternal and Child Health Initiatives with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness. She brings to the Foundation an impressive track record of work and service in birth equity leadership, early childhood education, and social entrepreneurship. For over 15 years, Micaela has worked  extensively with children and families in diverse settings, and has led several high-impact efforts including most recently serving as Co-Executive Director of Harambee Village Doulas, and previously as Assistant Director for the YMCA's before and after school programs for middle school children. Micaela has also managed her own Nanny service in the Greater Madison area, matching in-home childcare providers to working professional families. She completed a double major in Early Childhood Development and Art Therapy at Metro State University in St.Paul, Minnesota and is a DONA trained Doula, certified Infant Specialist, certified Lactation Consultant, a Protective Factors and Ages and Stages Trainer, and a former Head Start Teacher. Micaela is a 2019 Madison Magazine MList Awardee recognized as an outstanding Innovator.

Tamara N. Thompson is a Black femme activist, Lactation Counselor, Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Student Midwife. Tamara is a founding member of the Wisconsin Doulas of Color Collective, co-founder of Harambee Village, a community based-doula organization, and Maroon Calabash, a Black Womyn led Reproductive Justice organization. Tamara’s activism work includes the intersections of pregnancy and racism, incarceration, trauma, gender identity, infant loss, trauma, economic status, and access to human milk.

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Felica Turner-Walton serves as the Doula Network and Maternal & Child Health Outreach Coordinator for FFBWW. A wife and mother of 6 children (two of whom are not Earthside), Felica leads purposeful work inspired by her children and devoted to protecting the health of mothers, babies and their families. She is a Certified Grief Educator, Grief Support Specialist, Certified Peer Specialist, Maternal Mental Health Peer Support Specialist, Certified Parent Peer Specialist, and End of Life Doula. She is also a member of the Black Maternal Child Health Alliance (BMCHA), Postpartum Support International (PSI) and Mom Congress.

Outside of the Foundation, Felica is the founder of the Healing Our Hearts Foundation, a community-based grief support organization and education service supporting families who have experienced a loss.  A native of Detroit, MI, Felica grew up in Greenwood, MS where she saw first-hand the lack of support for families in loss due to gun violence, infant/maternal loss, or natural causes. Her work as an advocate for Infant and Maternal Health started after the passing of her son Zaire in 2016, an experience that ignited Felica’s leadership and advocacy in the maternal and child health space. Felica currently holds Wisconsin certifications as a Peer Support Specialist and Parent Peer Support Specialist. Felica is also a Maternal Mental Health Peer Support Specialist. She is a graduate of United Way of Dane County Boardwalk Program, and the University of Wisconsin Odyssey Program. She is also a current LEND trainee, supporting initiatives for families of Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (CYSHN). Felica volunteers with many organizations within Dane County and strives to push partnerships and collaborations. She likes to spend her time helping others along their own healing journey.

She is a recipient of the 2022 Amy Awards, dedicated to Amy and Jocelyn Gannon. In her spare time, Felica loves crafting, traveling, and spending time with her family.

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"Racha Tahani Lawler Queen is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), Licensed Midwife (LM), Registered & Certified Sangoma (South African Traditional Healer Herbalist), fourth generation midwife, farmer, and textile artist. A practicing traditional midwife of 20+ years, supporting families in hospitals, birth centers, and in homebirth. Lawler Queen has supported over 1,600 families in their out-of-hospital birthing, and for over a decade prioritized Black & Brown midwifery students as a clinical preceptor and academic preceptor. On August 1st 2023, she opened Gather Grounded Midwifery's - Birth Cottage in Midlothian, VA. A reimagined birth cottage (center), modeled after how her great great-grandmother's midwifery cared for Black & Indigenous families in Elmo and Forney, Texas. She is supporting three local Black learning midwives in their traditional midwifery education. The Traditional Midwifery Freedom Pathway- a culturally & fiscally supported apprenticeship."

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Carola Gaines, Community Liaison Manager, has worked for Quartz and UW Health for 26 years, serving Medicaid families in advocating and creating programs that support their health and assist in removing barriers to receive quality health care. Since 1994 the Quartz BadgerCare Plus(BC+) membership has grown from 1,200 in Dane County to approximately 45,000 members in 16 Counties and still growing. She is challenged daily as she works to meet the needs of the members in the many areas of their lives. Her goals are to coordinate and provide a heightened level of support to Quartz BC+ providers and BC+ membership, by implementing innovative programs to improve access to care and striving to decrease health inequities. Carola serves on several community Boards and committees. She has received numerous awards and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

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Zakiyyah Sorensen, BSN, is the Outreach Manager and Engagement Hub Director for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE). She directs the strategic planning and vision for CORE outreach and engagement and builds community stakeholder networks with organizations and individuals supportive of CORE’s mission. Zakiyyah facilitates the identification of community research priorities and the development, translation, and dissemination of research findings in support of community needs in Wisconsin. Her approach emphasizes reproductive and knowledge justice principles as guiding frameworks for collective liberation.

Zakiyyah is a Registered Nurse (RN) and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Nursing. She specializes in sexual and reproductive healthcare and public health. Zakiyyah’s nursing experience includes public health nursing with the Madison and Dane County Public Health Department, medical-surgical nursing with the William S. Middleton Veterans Affairs Hospital in Madison, and as a long-term care nurse at the Central Wisconsin Center. She has presented on reproductive health and reproductive justice at the National Sexual Health Conference, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s Safe Healthy Strong Conference, HCET, and Providers and Teens Communicating for Health. Zakiyyah lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her husband.

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Christine Russell serves as Director of Health & Wellness Programs with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness. She brings over 15 years of experience supporting and administering health and wellness programming for hospital systems, global pharmaceutical companies, and national health management organizations, bringing greater health, wellness, and outcomes to employees and families. Christine is also a practitioner with training as a fitness instructor and wellness coach, rounded out by her experience with program implementation, data analytics, marketing, and communications, and leading strategic initiatives. Christine’s passion for community impact has inspired her local work in Greater Madison to support underserved individuals and their families through maternal care, financial, and physical well-being. Her transition from corporate wellness to community health drives her commitment to further support her own community.

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Theresa Fortune is an established public speaker, actress, director, executive producer and founder of Communion with the Community, which was established in 2017.  The focal point of her work is art and creative expression and boldly sharing her personal experiences with economic challenges, social injustices, and postpartum depression.

As a creative-community service leader, Fortune orchestrates events that inspire dialogue around mental health and artistic expression in the black community. Fortune’s work in drama theater, storytelling, and visual art exist to provide a container for dialogue around many of the issues affecting black families and individuals in our increasingly disconnected society.

Her devotion to contributing to the community inspired her to build and facilitate a year-round mentorship program for underprivileged children in Oakland. In this program, youth are introduced to the arts and encouraged to explore their creative identity. Theresa Fortune was born and raised in Oakland and is a mother to an 11-year-old daughter.

An SMC Full Circle Doula, Licensed Hair Stylist, Trained Massage Specialist, Baker, Mama Toni Taylor does it all. Born on the Southside of Chicago and raised in Southern California, Mama Toni has a unique love for building community around nurturing and nourishing people and is co-owner of Chicago Birthworks Collective, she is mother to identical twins, one daughter, and one son, grandmother to two boys and three girls and a guiding force and loving light to all of them.

As a grandmother to five, she never misses an opportunity to energize herself through her engagement with babies, children and new parents. Toni’s work began by the side of her 6 sisters in the births of over 15 nieces and nephews and has led her through her journey of birthmark towards midwifery. Toni is an MMCI Perinatal Educator, Certified Blacitivist Educator and student midwife and founding Board Member of The Love Package Project, a nonprofit organization that gifts Black families with curated-care packages and community doula support. and is deeply committed to transforming the parenting journey through nurturing the whole parent and developing confidence and competence in new and young parents.

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Dr. Zapata is an award-winning author, public health strategist, researcher, and physician. Her focus is on utilizing innovative, community-centered, and system shifting strategies to impact health outcomes for children and families in a radical way. She is double-board certified in the fields of Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine and works as a UW Newborn Nursery Hospitalist practicing at Meriter Hospital. She is also an assistant professor at the University of WI School of Medicine and Public Health where she is a Centennial scholar and serves in a variety of clinical, research, teaching and leadership roles aimed at increasing diversity in medicine and achieving maternal child health equity locally and nationally. Outside of the hospital, she is passionate about youth empowerment, social entrepreneurship, book writing, singing, playing volleyball and spending time with family. Her ultimate mission in life is to use her infectious energy, gifts, and passions to "heal, uplift and inspire".

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Courtney S. Hayward is the Director of Government Relations at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin and serves as the registered Lobbyist for the organization where she uses her knowledge of policy issues and the enter-workings of government to influence legislation at the state and local level. She also uses her role at Planned Parenthood Advocates to share her knowledge of Wisconsin politics with Black lead organizations in order to bring more individuals and groups from that community into the advocacy and policy space. She holds a Bachelor’s in Legal Studies from the University of Central Florida, a Master’s in Public Administration and is currently working on her dissertation so she can earn her Doctorate in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University. Prior to starting her tenure at Planned Parenthood she worked in the grants and fundraising arena which gave her the necessary skills and experience to network with individuals across a myriad of disciplines. She’s originally from South Florida but has been living and working in the Madison Wisconsin community for over 6 years. She’s passionate about mentoring, advocacy, and helping others. In her very limited free time she enjoys reading, spending time with her mentees, and going for long drives.

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Adrian Jones is a public health leader and reproductive justice advocate with over 15 years of experience in community health improvement. In her present role with UW Health, she manages efforts to advance the improvement of health outcomes and to reduce disparities in Dane County through community collaborations and targeted programming.She previously served as Community Health Educator for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, and is a sexual and reproductive health educator specializing in working with women and young adults. Adrian has taught comprehensive sexuality education in schools and provided sexual health trainings to youth-serving professionals, and has trained community health educators locally and statewide. She also previously worked as a Program Coordinator for the Girls, Inc. Program at Goodman Community Center, and is a gifted developer of adolescent health programming.

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Dr. Jill Denson is a research assistant professor at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. She serves as director of the UW Prevention Research Center, engaging researchers, community members, and translational partners in expanding community-based prevention research and health promotion to improve the health of women, infants, and families. Dr. Denson is passionate about maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, and health equity, with a focus on examining how social and structural drivers affect health outcomes. Dr. Denson’s research interests are rooted in collaborating with community partners to address health disparities through community-engaged research. She is particularly interested in building robust community partnerships, and centering the voices of those who are marginalized through capacity building and innovative research strategies.

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