232: Revolutionizing Maternal Health: Equity, Advocacy and Community Wisdom with Dr. Yanica F. Faustin, PhD, MPH

Interview with Dr. Yanica F. Faustin, PhD, MPH

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Highlights from this episode:

Community-based participatory research is essential for addressing health inequities.
How Lived experiences of communities provide invaluable insights for research.
Cultural humility is vital for public health professionals.
The importance of community wisdom in data-driven strategies cannot be overstated.
Data justice is crucial for accurate representation and why we should look at data from a diasporic focus.

Episode 232 of Public Health Careers

Yanica is the founder of Interdisciplinary Health Equity, LLC, which provides consulting, speaking, and coaching all aimed at centering community and data in the fight to move equity forward in programs, organizations, and leadership teams. She is also a recipient of the Health Equity Scholars 4 Action grant, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

She is a researcher, equity strategist, methodologist, and advocate committed to building health systems that are both inclusive and just. I am dedicated to fighting for health equity by merging evidence-based strategies with community wisdom, ensuring health systems work for those who are often the most marginalized

She conferred a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and an Independent Major interdisciplinary in philosophy and biology titled: Ethical Genetics at Colby College. During undergrad, she held roles such as Cabin Counselor & Unit Leader at Hole in the Woods Camp Double H Ranch Research Genetic Counseling Intern at Children’s Hospital Boston Genomics Program, Research Assistant & Clerk at Colby Fund Office, and was part of the Posse Foundation.

Yanica then earned a Master of Public Health in Community Health Education at University of North Carolina at Greensboro working as an Independent Contractor atWayne County Health Department, Graduate Assistant/Research Assistant at UNC Greensboro, Graduate at UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Project Coordinator (Center for Global Health) at RTI International.

And a PhD in Maternal and Child Health with a minor in Sociology at University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. During this time, they were an Intrahealth Summer Fellow at Intrahealth International, a Pre-Doctoral Fellow and Instructor in Public Health Studies at Elon University, and Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Health Equity and Racism (H.E.R.) Lab, integrating anti-racist approaches into research and advocacy.