Lauren Ramsey received her undergraduate degree in physiology from Michigan State University. As an undergraduate, Lauren was a McNair/SROP Scholar and conducted research on African American women, depressive symptoms, and birth outcomes. Intrigued with the outcomes and findings of the research, she pursued a M.P.H. in health behavior and health education at the University of Michigan.

After receiving her master’s degree, Lauren worked with the Michigan Department of Community Health in the Health Disparities Reduction & Minority Health Section. There, she developed a health equity toolkit aimed at educating community members and policy-makers on health equity and the social determinants of health. She also worked as a program coordinator with the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan where she assisted with the formation of a community coalition to address diabetes disparities in Northwest Detroit, providing education to community members who either have or have been impacted by diabetes and introducing public health models that allowed community members to think critically and mobilize for effective change.

Lauren’s research interests include racial/ethnic health disparities, HIV/AIDS, race and racism, maternal/child health, community-based participatory research, and evaluation methods and design. She is particularly interested in grassroots organizations and building their capacity to address the needs of their community.