Asari Offiong

Dr. Asari Offiong serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. With over a decade of experience in adolescent health research and public health practice, she brings extensive expertise in youth development programs and community-based participatory research conducted in urban settings. Prior to her current appointment, she worked as a Senior Research Scientist within the Sexual and Reproductive Health area at Child Trends, a national research institute dedicated to children, youth, and family wellbeing.

Dr. Offiong employs a strengths-based, youth-centered approach to research, focusing specifically on reengaging opportunity youth (those disconnected from school and work), preventing early substance use, and promoting positive sexual and reproductive health among vulnerable populations including expecting and parenting youth. She intentionally views adolescents as "at-promise" rather than "at-risk," emphasizing authentic relationship-building with youth, community members, and local organizations. Her research explores threats to adolescent sexual and reproductive health through reproductive justice frameworks to understand how adolescents perceive sex, form intentions, and make sexual health decisions.

Her areas of expertise include:

• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Health Equity
• Racism and its health impacts
• Reproductive Health
• Urban Health
• Women's Health

Dr. Offiong's publication record reveals consistent focus on adolescent sexual and reproductive health decision-making, with particular attention to vulnerable youth populations across multiple methodologies. Her work demonstrates a clear trajectory of translating research findings into practical applications for youth-serving programs and policies, with recent publications spanning from 2021-2025.

Her academic credentials include:

• PhD in Population, Family & Reproductive Health from Johns Hopkins University
• MPH in International Health & Maternal and Child Health from Boston University
• BS in Brain Behavior & Cognitive Science from the University of Michigan