Regina R. Washington is an American public health professional, activist, and researcher who has dedicated her career to closing health gaps among marginalized and underrepresented groups in the state of

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. Washington is Director of LGBT HealthLink, an organization which promotes tobacco control, cancer prevention and public health equity activities. As a public health professional, she has become an advocate for reducing LGBT smoking and cancer rates. Washington was the first black student to graduate with a

Doctor of Public Health A Doctor of Public Health (abbr. DrPH, Dr.P.H. or D.P.H.; Latin ) is a doctoral degree awarded in the field of Public health, Public Health. DrPH is an advanced and terminal degree that prepares its recipients for a career in advancing public hea ...

(DrPH) degree from the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...

when she graduated in 2006.

Early life and education

Regina Washington grew up in

Martinsburg, West Virginia Martinsburg is a city in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 18,773 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making Martinsburg the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia a ...

, with a family that prioritized education and work. Washington attended

Berea College Berea College is a private liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the first college in the Southern United States to be coeducational and racially integrated. It was integrated from as early as 1866 ...

and earned a Bachelor of Science in biology."REGINA WASHINGTON NAMED DIRECTOR OF NEW PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION." ''US Fed News Service, Including US State News,'' Feb 19 2007, ''ProQuest.'' Web. 25 Nov. 2024 . She attended

Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University (Eastern or EKU) is a public university in Richmond, Kentucky. It also maintains branch campuses in Corbin, Hazard, and Manchester and offers over 40 online undergraduate and graduate options. History Founding ...

, where she graduated with a master's in education in health sciences. After that, she received her Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health in 2006, becoming the first African American to be awarded this title by the school.

Career

Following her doctorate, Washington pursued a career in public health improvement, with a special interest in cancer research and health disparities. She began her career in cancer research at the University of Kentucky and the

National Cancer Institute The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...

(NCI) in

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Located just northwest of Washington, D.C., it is a major business and government center of the Washington metropolitan region ...

. Washington worked as an educator, giving public health and wellness courses at South College School of Pharmacy. She has also led several programs to combat health disparities, including efforts to eliminate the over-representation of black women in breast and cervical cancer. Washington is now the Director of LGBT HealthLink. She is dedicated to fighting tobacco and cancer health inequality in LGBT communities as part of her position.

Impact

Smoking awareness, cancer control, and health equity remain the hallmarks of Washington's public health legacy. Her role in fighting health inequalities in the LGBT/minority population has helped to extend the inclusion of diversity into public health policies and practices.

Awards and honors

Washington won the Lyman T Johnson Torch of Excellence Award in 2022 for her many contributions to education and health equity. Additionally, Washington has also completed the Health Policy CERTA

Fellowship A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...

at the National Cancer Institute, and she was named a Public Health Leadership Scholar by the

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolling students in 1795 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Regina Wikipedia Student Program Year of birth missing (living people) Living people University of Kentucky alumni Berea College alumni Eastern Kentucky University alumni American public health doctors