The Black Scholar Series: Dr. Jasmine Abrams

Dr. Jasmine Abrams

We welcome our next speaker, Dr. Jasmine Abrams, an international behavioral research scientist, Dr. Abrams’ work is conducted with the goal of utilizing culture as an avenue to better understand and reduce health disparities. Dr. Abrams conducts domestic and international research in collaboration with community-based and health service organizations and is fiercely dedicated to sexual health promotion among women of African ancestry -with a focus on HIV prevention and promotion of sexual pleasure. Dr. Abrams also has expertise in translational community-based and engaged research, prevention science, qualitative research, mixed methods, and intervention program development, adaptation, and evaluation. She has secured numerous federal funding awards to support her HIV prevention research and programming with women of African ancestry, including funding from NIMH, NIMHD, and Fogarty International Center. Dr. Abrams has also founded 4 companies, including her newest venture -the Thrive Institute for Professional Development where they offer transformative trainings and workshops focused on advancing productivity and well-being among early career researchers at research intensive institutions.

Sessions:
Wednesday, March 31, 2021, 12PM – 1:30PM CT
Main Lecture: Utilizing Intersectionality Theory to Understand and Address Sexual and Maternal Health Disparities
Although intersectionality theory debuted among Black feminist scholars decades ago, it has recently emerged in psychology as a critical theoretical and methodical approach. Applying an intersectional lens in research can enable us to “see” what is outside the scope of most scientific studies. Through intersectionality, we can illuminate and dissect the complexities of minds and bodies as sites of intersectional oppression and generate new knowledge and more holistic representations of marginalized experiences and the forces that create those experiences to facilitate greater understandings of health as well as more comprehensive solutions. This presentation will expand on these concepts through an overview of Dr. Abrams’ research on sexual and maternal health disparities experienced by women of African ancestry, domestically and globally.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021, 1:45PM – 2:45PM CT
Affinity Session: The Affinity Session provides the opportunity for Black students, staff, and faculty to come together in community with each other and the visiting scholar to collectively reflect on their realities of being Black and in the field of psychology.

Friday, April 2, 2021, 12PM – 1PM CT
Special Session: A Primer on Academic Entrepreneurship: What It Is and How to Get Started
Have you thought about starting your own business? Let Dr. Abrams show you the ropes! In addition to her academic endeavors, Dr. Abrams is a serial entrepreneur who has founded multiple companies. In this session, Dr. Jasmine Abrams will provide an overview of different types of academic entrepreneurship, share her experiences in navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and offer a few tips on how to get started. She will also provide some strategies for overcoming the most common mistakes that new founders making when starting a business.