Jaime Slaughter-Acey

Jaime Slaughter-Acey, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research focuses on socio-environmental and psychosocial determinants of women’s and family health, emphasizing health equity, systemic racism, and intersectionality. She leads the I-RISE & Health Lab, investigating how systemic racism and social inequities impact maternal and infant health, particularly among Black families.

Education:

• BS in Ocean Engineering, Texas A&M University (2000)
• MPH in Maternal and Child Health, Tulane University (2002)
• PhD in Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology, University of Illinois at Chicago (2010)

Research Interests: Dr. Slaughter-Acey’s work centers on racial disparities in maternal and child health, structural racism, colorism, and the role of intersectionality in health outcomes. Her landmark LIFE-2 Study explores how a Black mother’s lifelong social environment influences epigenetic factors and birth outcomes, addressing systemic inequities in healthcare.

Awards:

• Matilda White Riley Early Stage Investigator Award (NIH, 2020)
• Charles N. Hewitt Creative Teaching Award (2022)
• Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health (2019)

Advocacy & Grants: A vocal advocate for health equity, Dr. Slaughter-Acey has secured NIH and Russell Sage Foundation grants. She emphasizes community-centered science and trains the next generation of equity-focused researchers.

Labs & Teams: Leads the I-RISE & Health Lab, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to address systemic racism in public health. Active in policy advocacy and media commentary on Black maternal health disparities.