After unexpectedly losing her father to a heart transplant rejection during her senior year of high school, then her grandmother to a second cancer diagnosis a few years later, Brown’s interest in supporting those with chronic disease and cancer survivors was ignited.
Meet Dr. Nashira Brown
Following her father’s passing, Dr. Nashira Brown’s academic career at UAB began with a goal of pursuing a career in cardiac rehabilitation through a bachelor of science in Kinesiology. After completing her undergraduate degree, she then pursued a master of science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Physiology, both in the School of Education and Human Sciences. During her master’s program, Brown shadowed exercise physiologists at UAB’s Spain Rehabilitation Center and fell in love with the field.
After completing her master’s degree, Brown had a clear vision of how she hoped to support those with chronic disease through physical activity but needed guidance on how exactly to pursue the field. She consulted Dr. Larrell Wilkinson in the UAB School of Education and Human Sciences who encouraged her to consider a Ph.D.
Brown first joined Dr. Wilkinson’s lab and contributed to the HEART MATTERS Study, a program that provided health coaching to African American men aged 24-75 who are overweight or obese. Through the HEART MATTERS Study, Brown realized that her exercise science and physiology background helped her understand how physical activity and exercise affects the body’s systems, but she knew she needed to learn how to effectively motivate individuals to become physically active and maintain their health. Brown then began the Ph.D. program in Health Behavior from the UAB School of Public Health.
During her time at the School of Public Health, she worked closely with Drs. Dori Pekmezi and Laura Q. Rogers, exceptional investigators with a focus on promoting physical activity and exercise among vulnerable populations, including cancer survivors and rural adults. Brown also became a T32 predoctoral trainee in the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center under their mentorship. This experience provided unique opportunities and prepared her for a T32 postdoctoral fellowship in Behavioral Oncology at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL where Brown continued her research on physical activity, exercise and cancer survivorship.
Brown joined the UAB School of Public Health’s Department of Health Behavior as an Assistant Professor in August 2024.
Building a career through the FIRST program
The UAB FIRST program came highly recommended by one of Brown’s mentors and after reviewing the program, she was eager to apply. The program’s emphasis on health disparities and cancer, in addition to the mentorship and career coaching support aligned perfectly with Brown’s research interests.
“The mentorship amenities are rarely found in a traditional assistant professor position, in fact, they are virtually unheard of,” Dr. Brown. “I have had fantastic mentors that have supported me throughout my educational pursuits and career journey. I want to thank Dr. Dorothy Pekmezi, Dr. Laura Q. Rogers and Dr. Wendy Demark-Wahnefried who were truly exceptional and influential in my career.”
With the outstanding resources and support provided by the FIRST program, Brown looks forward to advancing her research on health disparities, specifically focusing on physical inactivity and cancer survivorship.
