Adaobi Anakwe

Adaobi Anakwe, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy at Drexel University. She focuses on improving health outcomes for Black families through studying preconception and perinatal health of men and women, emphasizing paternal contributions to maternal and child health disparities. Her work applies health equity frameworks to examine structural and social determinants of health across the life course.

Education: PhD in Epidemiology (Saint Louis University), MPH (University of Missouri). She completed a PFFFD postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Missouri Columbia. Expertise includes mixed-methods research, community-based participatory approaches, and global health equity initiatives targeting paternal health inequities among Black/African diaspora populations.

Research Interests: Black paternal health, maternal and child health, health disparities, community engagement, and policy-relevant interventions. Recent work explores pandemic impacts on African American families, vaccine hesitancy, and youth violence prevention in Black communities.

Grants/Advising: Projects include NIH-funded studies on paternal health equity and CDC initiatives addressing vaccine communication in marginalized groups. Collaborates with community organizations to co-design culturally resonant health interventions.

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health programs focusing on health equity and urban health systems. Leads interdisciplinary teams combining epidemiological analysis with community-driven research methods.