Laneshia Conner

Laneshia Conner is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, specializing in HIV risk prevention for older Black women, substance use research, and social justice education. Her work integrates behavioral interventions, cultural humility, and mixed-methods approaches to address health disparities and ageism in public health contexts.

• Education: Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Louisville (2013)
• Key Grants: BIRCWH Administrative Supplement (NIDA) for developing the Woman to Woman (W2W) intervention
• Research Themes: HIV prevention, aging populations, LGBTQ+ health, anti-racism pedagogy, and workplace trauma assessment

Recent publications focus on geographic patterns of HIV risk, social work education reform, and behavioral interventions. Her scientific award includes a NIDA-funded grant to train as a women’s health scholar. Dr. Conner collaborates with interdisciplinary teams across public health, psychology, and nursing to implement community-based programs for older adults.