Critical Health Communication, Black Health, Translational Research, Critical Methodologies, Chronic Disease/Outcomes, Health Disparities/Inequities, Racism, Racial Stress, Resilience, Digital Health, Health Information Seeking, Participatory Intervention Development and Dissemination
Dr. Akila Ka Ma'at (www.drakilakamaat.com) holds joint positions in the Department of Communication, the Women and Gender Studies, and the African and African American Studies Programs. Jennifer R. Warren is Dr. Ma'at's given name and the one she publishes under. Dr. Ma'at is also the Principal Consultant at the Center for African American Health Disparities Education & Research, Inc. 501(c)(3).
Dr. Ma'at is the Director of the 'Communicating Equity and Healing Justice' (CEHJ) Lab at GMU and is an expert in social scientific and behavioral health research and qualitative research methodologies, curricula development, community-based participatory engagement, digital health, translational research, and targeted evidence-based health message development/dissemination and community-engaged health work to motivate behavior change.
She has more than two decades of experience in conceptualizing, managing, and developing health programs and is a seasoned health communication expert who uses various modalities to disseminate innovative messages to community members, health practitioners, and stakeholders. Dr. Ma'at works effectively across diverse peoples, systems, and environments. As an advocate and educator, Dr. Ma'at is an internationally awarded scholar who has more than 30 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and reports and over 70 presentations at scientific venues and has received numerous awards/honors for her research.
Dr. Ma'at served as an Assistant Professor of Health Communication at Rutgers University for 10 years, until she chose to leave to found the Center for African American Health Disparities Education and Research (CAAHDER), Inc. 501(c)3 in 2018, a community-based health organization serving Black American populations primarily through community-based intervention, health education, and mentorship of Black women college/university students in health disparities research, health services, health research, and outreach, which has gained national status and international recognition. CAAHDER has partnered with community organizations across the nation.
To continue and expand her research into the Metro DC area, in 2021 Dr. Ma'at stepped down as Executive Director of CAAHDER to assume the position as the organization's lead consultant in order to bridge her new role as faculty and student experiences at George Mason University with CAAHDER’s critical community outreach.
Dr. Ma'at is obtaining certification as a life coach to help her be a better person, educator, and mentor. She is currently certified as a Professional Health Coach (PHC), which provides her a depth of insight into the management of chronic disease to assist her family, community members, and participants in her research as necessary. This training is critical in the development of useful health interventions. Dr. Ma'at also holds certifications in Diversity and Inclusive Leadership from the University of Colorado, CITI, HIPPA, and Cultural Competence. During the pandemic, Dr. Ma'at received training from the World Health Organization in COVID-19 Infection Control, Prevention, and Operational Planning.
Dr. Ma’at seeks an understanding of the negotiation of multiple types of racism and stressors at the individual and communal level and the impact of intersecting racism/stressors on self-perception and the capacity to be self-determinant among Black women. This work informs her investigation of how internalized racism or appropriated racism impacts how individuals perceive, take up, communicate, and enact health with an eye toward resilience, health risks, and outcomes. In addition, Dr. Ma'at's research is an act of healing or restorative justice in her life. With space of research as one of healing, as a testimony to her parts of her life and experience, Dr. Ma'at is interested in 'testifying' as healing justice to foster individual and community resilience, resistance, and reclamation of health and the Black body.
Please See CEHJ Lab.
In Progress: Intramural:
2021 Community Assessment of Racial Stressors and Coping among Perinatal Black women
Applicants: Akila-Ka Ma'at & Leah Adams (Psychology)
Funding Agency: ORIEI, George Mason University
Approved - Intramural:
2021-2022 “Pilot Testing a Survey to Access Racial Stress and Related Factors ”.
Applicant: Akila-Ka Ma'at (Jennifer R. Warren)
Funding Agency: FRDA, George Mason University
Role: PI
Approved - Extramural:
2021-2022 “Know your heart:” Cardiovascular education campaign for African American women.
Applicant: Center for African American Health Disparities Education and Research, Inc. 501(c)3.
Funding Agency: Abbott Medical Devices
Role: Principal Investigator
2019 - 2021 “Perceptions of cardiovascular health among African-American women in public housing” College of Health Sciences, University of Kentucky
BM White (PI) | Role: Co-investigator
2018-2020 “Moving toward a healthier future: nutritional and physical activity programming for public housing residents”
Applicant Organizations: Trenton Housing Authority and Center for African American Health Disparities Education and Research, Inc. (501(c)3)
Funding Agency: New Jersey Healthy Communities Network (Amount: $20,000)
Role: PI/Project Director
Other Approved – Intramural:
2017-2018 “Housing, health, and life quality: senior/disabled residents of multi-unit public housing”
Funding Agency: School of Communication, Rutgers University (Amount: $15,000)
Role: PI
2016-2017 “Validating Identity-Congruence in e-Health Information Seeking”
Funding Agency: University Research Council, Rutgers University (Amount: $10,000)
Role: PI
2015-2016 “Barriers to crisis communication within U.S. Sierra Leone communities” Funding Agency: University Research Council Grant Program, Rutgers University
Role: PI
Fall 2021
COMM 304 Foundations of Health Communication
Spring 2022
AFAM 390 Social Constructions of Black Health
Upcoming: Fall 2022
COMM 304 Foundations of Health Communication
WGST 410 Feminist Approaches to Social Research
Upcoming: Spring 2022
WMST 550: Current Topics in Women and Gender Studies
2006-2009 Post-Doctoral Associate: Program in Health Disparities Research (PHDR), University of Minnesota Medical School – Twin Cities
2002-2006 PhD: Communication Arts and Sciences (Study area: Health Communication), Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. (conferred August 2006)
1999-2001 MA: Culture and Communication (Study area: Computer-Mediated Communication), New York University, New York, NY (conferred September 2001)
1997-1999 BS: Culture and Communication (Minor: Anthropology), New York
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS (Student names underlined)
“Frustrated Trent Center East residents describe complex as ‘unlivable’.” The Trentonian 11/10/15. http://www.trentonian.com/health/20151110/frustrated-trent-center-east-residents-describe- complex-as-unlivable
“Professor: Trenton seniors facing ‘discriminatory and abusive housing policies’.” The Trentonian 9/4/2015. http://www.trentonian.com/health/20150904/professor-trenton-seniors-facing- discriminatory-and-abusive-housing-policies
“Trenton senior housing complex denies coercing tenants.” The Trentonian 9/2/2015. http://www.trentonian.com/general-news/20150902/trenton-senior-housing-complex-denies- coercing-tenants
“Jennifer Warren Honored With 2013-14 Leaders in Faculty Diversity Awards” School of Communication and Information; News & Events Website. http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/news/jennifer-warren-vikki-katz-honored-with-2013-14-leaders- in-faculty-diversity-awards.html
Quoted in “Obamacare: The good, the bad and the ugly.” Asbury Park Press 3/6/2014. http://investing.businessweek.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600- 201403262359KRTRIB BUSNEWS_12013_64599-1
“Research Interest Propels Professor Jennifer Warren’s Recent Trenton Housing Authority Commissioner Appointment.” School of Communication and Information; News & Events Website. http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/news/research-interests-propels-prof-jennifer-warren-s- recent-trenton-housing-authority-commissioner-appointment.html
Dr. Jennifer Warren Receives NIH Health Disparities Loan Repayment Program Award. School of Communication and Information; New & Events Website. http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/comm- dept-news/dr-jennifer-warren-receives-nih-health-disparities-loan-repayment-program- award.html
Dr. Jennifer Warren guest expert, six-minute segment Sept. 17, 2012, on the International TV news program Ebru Today, which airs everyday 9am. In her six-minute segment she discussed the benefits and potential dangers of electronic cigarettes for harm reduction for smokers.
Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n3UNFBD7jA
Dr. Jennifer Warren guest expert, six-minute segment Aug 3, 2012, on the International TV news program Ebru Today, which airs everyday 9am. In her six-minute segment she discussed with Bryan Jenkins research aligned with her NIH award--stereotype threat, identity, smoking health outcomes, and how health communication can help reduce this threat for minorities.
EbruToday - http://ebrutoday.com/2012-06-12-20-56-48/health/503-diagnosis-bais.html Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plJnbnsMruM&feature=youtu.be
Dr. Jennifer Warren guest expert, six-minute segment July 13, 2012 to the integration of service, teaching and research (Interviewed by Laura Jones).
TV news program hosted by Bryan Jenkins and Laura Jones. Ebru Today is an hour-long live morning TV newscast featuring the latest in United States and international news, weather, and interviews with world-renowned scholars on a variety of topics. Ebru Today reaches over 8 million households in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley, PA.
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWk_LiX2k9c&feature=plcp Ebrunews: http://www.ebrutoday.com/ebrutoday-insight.html
Dr. Jennifer Warren and her integration of teaching, research, and service in her Communication and Social Change class with ShapingNJ (a funded New Jersey based mobilization against obesity) was covered in a recent Rutgers Focus article June 22, 2102: Rutgers Students Help Shape a Healthier New Jersey http://news.rutgers.edu/focus/issue.2012-05-30.4224061348/article.2012- 06-20.3013761733
Dr. Jennifer Warren on six-minute segment June 11, 2012 to discuss e-health and health disparities (Interviewed by Bryan Jenkins).
TV news program hosted by Bryan Jenkins and Laura Jones. Ebru Today is an hour-long live morning TV newscast featuring the latest in United States and international news, weather, and interviews with world-renowned scholars on a variety of topics. Ebru Today reaches over 8 million households in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley, PA.
Ebrunews: http://ebrunews.com/en/video/e-health
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo33s6lRNgE&feature=youtu.be
Dr. Jennifer Warren on six-minute segment June 1, 2012 to discuss health literacy, smoking, and asthma issues (Interviewed by Bryan Jenkins).
TV news program hosted by Bryan Jenkins and Laura Jones. Ebru Today is an hour-long live morning TV newscast featuring the latest in United States and international news, weather, and interviews with world-renowned scholars on a variety of topics. Ebru Today reaches over 8 million households in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley, PA.
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAY-nchuDNo
Ebrunews: http://ebrunews.com/en/video/health-literacy
Dr. Jennifer Warren interviewed by Steve Adubato on his Caucus: New Jersey broadcast as part of a 30 minutes panel on childhood asthma, during the following times:
Thirteen: Saturday 5/12 at 12:30pm
NJTV: Saturday 5/12 at 12:00pm, 6:00pm; Sunday 5/13 at 8:30am, 11:30am WHYY: Tuesday 5/15 at 5:30pm
WLIW: Wednesday 5/16 at 11:30pm; Friday 5/18 at 7:00am
Protecting Kids from 2nd & 3rd –Hand Smoke, Nov. 23, 2012, North News, MN, MyNorthNews.com
Professor Jennifer Warren Spearheads Program to Battle Childhood Asthma, Nov. 16, 2011, Rutgers Today, NJ, news.rutgers.edu/medrel/q-and-a-hot-topic/professor-jennifer-w-20111116.