Ashley Lacombe-Duncan

Dr. Ashley Lacombe-Duncan is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on healthcare access and health equity for marginalized populations, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals and people living with HIV. She holds a PhD in Social Work from the University of Toronto (2018) and an MSW from the same institution (2010). Her work addresses multi-level barriers to healthcare through community-based, interdisciplinary approaches. Lacombe-Duncan is core faculty at the U-M Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities, associate director of the SRG Research Collective, and an adjunct scientist at Toronto’s Women’s College Hospital.

Her research emphasizes intersectionality, stigma reduction, and social ecological frameworks. Key areas include sexual/reproductive healthcare for transgender women with HIV and interventions to combat systemic inequities. Lacombe-Duncan has secured funding from CIHR, NIH, and Gilead Sciences. Recent projects include the Trans Women HIV Research Initiative and a study on HIV care cascades among transgender populations.

Publications highlight her expertise in HIV disparities, gender-affirming care, and pandemic impacts on marginalized groups. She collaborates with global health organizations and emphasizes participatory methods to center community voices in research. Lacombe-Duncan also contributes to provider education initiatives like the TEACHH program to improve gender-affirming healthcare competency.