Dr. Megha Ramaswamy, PhD, MPH

I am a recognized thought leader in the field of incarceration and women’s health. As a sexual health researcher and academic, my work has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health. My research portfolio is over $10 million. I have worked for the last 15 years studying the intersection of urban living, race, class, gender, health, and social risk for women and men involved in the criminal legal system. My work has led to the development of behavioral and systems-level interventions that address the intersection of trauma, sexual health, and cancer prevention. I take community health problems, work with women who are experts of their own lives, and come up with plans for how best to implement solutions.

I have written 75+ articles for the academic press and blogosphere. I have taught and mentored over 200 trainees – high school students, undergraduates, graduate public health and medical students, and faculty scientists. My work has been recognized by teaching, mentoring, and community awards. I’ve served on the boards for the Rose Brooks Center, a Kansas City domestic violence shelter, and Planned Parenthood of Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. I serve the scientific community as a chair of a National Institutes of Health review panel.

I have a PhD in Sociology from the City University of New York Graduate Center; a master's degree in public health from University of Kansas School of Medicine; and a BA in Journalism from New York University.