Keisha Leanne Bentley-Edwards

Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards is an Associate Professor at Duke University School of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine. She serves as Associate Director of Research for the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity and co-directs Duke's CTSI Center for Equity in Research.

Her research examines how racism, gender, and culture influence health and education outcomes across the lifespan, with emphasis on African American communities. She investigates structural barriers to health equity and develops interventions addressing racial disparities.

Recent publications focus on kidney health disparities, reproductive outcomes, and cardiovascular risks affected by racial discrimination. Her NIH-funded grants include studies on nurse-led care models and structural racism's impact on kidney health.

• Nurse LEADS: Training in Nurse-LEd models (NIH 2024-2029)
• Interventions Addressing Structural Racism (NIH 2023-2025)
• Religion/Spirituality and CVD Risks (NIH 2017-2024)

She leads the Health Equity Working Group and mentors through programs like Bass Connections and Story+.