Research Team
Dr. Jeannette Wade
Dr. Jeannette Wade is the co-creator of the Sexual Health Education (SHE) Rises empowerment practice, a theory-driven, community-engaged education model that centers Black women’s voices and lived experiences. She currently holds the position of Associate Professor and the Inaugural Program Director of Human Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and an M.A. in Child and Family Development from the University of Akron. A Black feminist medical sociologist, Dr. Wade’s scholarship centers on health equity for Black women, with a particular focus on how structural inequalities, controlling images, and the Strong Black Woman schema shape sexual, reproductive, and mental health across the life course.
Dr. Wade is a published scholar with articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Women’s Health, where she also serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief, as well as the Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, the Journal of Sex Research, and the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Her research is also disseminated in public-facing outlets like Time Magazine, Newsweek, Therapy for Black Girls, and BMJ Opinion.
Dr. Andrea A. Lewis
Dr. Andrea A. Lewis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro and a licensed Physician Assistant practicing in STI care. Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to Black women’s sexual and reproductive health, health equity, and the need for healthcare systems that listen to, respect, and affirm Black women’s lived experiences.
Dr. Lewis co-leads SHE Rises, a community-centered initiative focused on Black women’s sexual and reproductive health, patient-provider communication, and empowerment in clinical encounters. Drawing from reproductive justice, Black feminist thought, and intersectionality, SHE Rises examines how healthcare systems, structural barriers, and provider interactions shape Black women’s access to care, trust in healthcare, and sexual and reproductive health outcomes.
Her ongoing clinical work in STI care grounds her scholarship in real-world practice and strengthens her commitment to community-responsive research. Through the Mosaic Health Lab, Dr. Lewis also leads work on provider-patient interactions, sexual and reproductive health equity, and racialized experiences in global health education. Across these areas, her goal is to center Black women’s voices and support healthcare practices that are more responsive, affirming, and just.
