Jessica Jerome

Dr. Jessica Jerome is an Associate Professor and Full-time Faculty member in the College of Science and Health at DePaul University. Her work centers on health care inequalities in urban environments, with ethnographic fieldwork focused on low-income communities in Fortaleza, Brazil, and comparative archival research on Chicago's historic free clinics. She employs qualitative methodologies to analyze how conceptions of health rights shape policy effectiveness and community engagement.

Research Focus: Dr. Jerome investigates systemic health disparities through medical anthropology and policy analysis. Key themes include:

• Ethnographic studies of Brazil's public health system and local health councils
• Comparative analysis of urban health inequities in Chicago and Northeastern Brazil
• Impact of health rights frameworks on policy implementation and patient experiences
• Community-based participatory research in marginalized populations

Publication Trends: Her scholarly work (2016–2022) demonstrates consistent focus on health justice, community agency, and policy critique. Articles utilize ethnography, historical analysis, and interviews to explore: health activism in Brazil; participatory governance; HIV care narratives; and innovations bridging clinical-community health gaps. Recurring keywords include medical anthropology, health equity, and urban marginality.