Dr. Amutah-Onukagha
Founder and Director of Black Maternal Health Conference
Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha is the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Founder and Director of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ), and of the Maternal Outcomes of Translational Health Equity Research (MOTHER) Lab. Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research investigates maternal health disparities, infant mortality, reproductive health and social justice, and HIV/AIDS as experienced by Black women. She also serves as the Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the university’s Public Health and Professional Degree Programs.
A well-published author, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research has been presented in over 61 manuscripts, 6 book chapters, a best-selling book on Amazon, and a textbook on culturally responsive evaluation. Her research has also been featured across a series of platforms, including, The Lancet, TedX, USA Today, and most recently broadcasted on MSNBC. She also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Women’s Health Issues. Currently, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Principal Investigator of two multi-year studies on maternal mortality and morbidity, an R01 funded by National Institutes of Health and an interdisciplinary grant on health equity funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha was an honoree of the 2020 Top 40 under 40 Minority Leaders in Healthcare, as presented by the National Minority Quality Forum. She is a member of the MA-COVID-19 Maternal Equity Coalition, a board member for the Neighborhood Birth Center in Boston, and a former board member of the National Women’s Health Network in Washington, D.C. In 2019, she was honored with the American Public Health Association’s Maternal and Child Health Section’s Young Professional of the Year Award. She currently serves as co-chair of the section’s Perinatal and Women’s Health Committee.
Dr. Amutah-Onukagha received her Master of Public Health from The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services before completing her Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Maryland. She also completed the Kellogg Health Scholars postdoctoral fellowship with an emphasis on community-based participatory research and health disparities.
More information on Dr. Amutah-Onukagha can be found at www.ndidiamutahphd.com.
Judith Jeanty, MPH
Black Maternal Health Conference Coordinator
Judith Jeanty, MPH, is from New Jersey, where she received her Bachelor of Science from Montclair State University and her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health and Prevention from Drexel University. She was previously a program management officer at the New Jersey Department of Health, where she managed statewide doula-funded programs. Her research interests include Maternal and Child Health, health disparities, and reproductive health, specifically amongst Black women and low-income communities. She is passionate about increasing access to doula services and achieving health equity. She is the Project Manager working directly under Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha.
2023 Conference Chairs:
Speakers Committee
Tiffany Vassell, RN, Chair
Kuann Fawkes, Co-Chair
Vedna Heywood, Co-Chair
Sponsorship Committee
Lily Schneider, Chair
Nat Green, Co-Chair
Communications Committee
Marline D. Edmond, M.A., MCHES®, Social Media & Marketing Manager Consultant
Lily Snape, Communications Co-Chair
Vanessa Martins, Communications Co-Chair
Programming Committee
Dorotea “Tia” Belotte, Chair
Chinenye Iroajanma, Co-Chair
Logistics & Troubleshooting Committee
Tynetta Smith, Co-Chair
Nikita Boston-Fisher, Co-Chair
