Leslie E Cofie

Leslie E Cofie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Education and Promotion at East Carolina University's College of Health and Human Performance. With a Ph.D. in Health Behavior from UNC-Chapel Hill, they focus on understanding and addressing health inequities among vulnerable populations through socioecological frameworks.

• B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton College
• M.A. in Medical Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University
• MPH in Public Health, Case Western Reserve Institution
• Ph.D. in Health Behavior, UNC-Chapel Hill

Their research examines disparities in chronic disease outcomes between foreign-born and US-born individuals, with special emphasis on cancer control, HPV vaccination programs, and maternal-child health interventions in both rural North Carolina and Ghana. Their methodological expertise spans qualitative and quantitative analysis of health determinants.

Recent publications highlight their work on digital equity initiatives, including migrant farmworker internet access (2024) and LGBTQ+ tobacco packaging research (2024). They have also contributed extensively to understanding cancer screening disparities (2019-2020) and tobacco use patterns (2018).

As principal investigator on multiple grants, they lead projects through East Carolina University's College of Health and Human Performance, including:

• Digital equity programs (2023-2026)
• Maternal and child health training (2021-2026)
• Refugee/immigrant health technology initiatives (2024-2025)

They maintain active memberships in the Society of Behavioral Medicine (2019-2021) and American Public Health Association (2018), with extensive community engagement through the New Arrivals Institute and East Coast Migrant Stream Forum.