Author: Jessica Snyder

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.

Dr. Hilliard’s work has taken her across the country, from the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, where she studied natural products for cancer therapeutics, to the University of Notre Dame. There, as a Dean’s Diversity Postdoctoral Fellow, she honed her focus on the role of host factors in cancer metastasis. Now, with her expertise in ovarian cancer, she is embarking on a new chapter as a Benjamin-Carver FIRST Scholar at Tuskegee University.

This prestigious program offers Dr. Hilliard invaluable resources, including designated mentors, research navigators, and peer support. “Being a part of the Benjamin-Carver FIRST program is an exciting opportunity to benefit from the considerable strengths and interactions among diverse faculty at both Tuskegee University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham,” says Dr. Hilliard.

As she looks to the future, Dr. Hilliard is committed to building a robust research program that not only advances scientific understanding but also fosters diversity in STEM fields. Her ultimate goal is to improve survival rates among African American women suffering from ovarian cancer and contribute to reducing health disparities.

Through her groundbreaking work, Dr. Hilliard hopes to open doors for minority and women students, just as she has been inspired by the pioneering scientists before her. “These two scientists have opened doors that I am proud to walk through and hope to continue to open for other students,” she reflects.

Dr. Hilliard’s story is one of perseverance, passion, and a dedication to improving the lives of others through science. Her work at Tuskegee is a testament to her commitment to both advancing cancer research and mentoring the next generation of scientists.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center has studied health disparities and equity for over 20 years. The need for this research is particularly evident in Alabama and the Deep South region.

To encourage health disparities research, longtime partners—UAB and Tuskegee University—applied for and received funding from the National Institutes of Health Common Fund to establish a cohort of scientists. Throughout 2023, the Benjamin-Carver FIRST program actively recruited faculty and welcomed them into their peer cluster community.

This series spotlights the Benjamin-Carver Scientists, sharing their educational backgrounds and plans for future research.

Meet Jessica Jaiswal, Ph.D., MPH

“I’m a first-generation college student, and before debate, I did not envision myself going to college,” explained Jaiswal. “All of my debate friends were college-bound, and I observed them taking AP classes, enrolling in ACT prep courses, and going on campus visits. All of this was incredibly foreign to me…and intimidating.”

A debate team mom helped Jaiswal navigate the college admissions process, and she did her undergraduate work at the University of Michigan. At UM, Jaiswal earned a BA in Women’s Studies and credits the school with providing interdisciplinary education in women and gender studies and Native American studies. This led to her interest in public health and health equity. Jaiswal completed her Master of Public Health, Behavioral Science at Emory University and her doctorate in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University.

A passion for research

Jaiswal credits an unlikely source with sparking her passion for LGBTQ health and HIV research—an extremist group. Growing up in Kansas, Jaiswal witnessed firsthand protests held by Westboro Baptist Church and counter-protests promoting justice and inclusivity.

“The images of these signs—bearing the most hateful language against sexual and gender minority people and people living with HIV—really stuck with me. But what stuck with me more were the counter-protests that rejected this way of thinking.”

As she has progressed in her career at UAB, Jaiswal has found a supportive department and amassed a team of mentors working across multiple fields and disciplines, including cancer disparities, infectious disease, substance use, and implementation science.

“UAB has everything I need and more—it’s in the heart of the Deep South, world-class resources, leading scholars in my field, and I think most importantly, my departmental home, Family and Community Medicine,”

Jessica Jaiswal, Ph.D.

“My department chair, Dr. Irfan Asif, and my vice chair of research, Dr. Tapan Mehta, are my champions, and their commitment to excellence in both patient care and research is incredibly energizing and makes me feel like there is no ceiling to what we can achieve as a team,” Jaiswal added.

Growing research within the Benjamin-Carver FIRST program

After her postdoctoral training, Jaiswal only applied to positions in the Deep South, knowing that this was where she wanted to grow her research program.

“The Benjamin-Carver FIRST program’s emphasis on health equity in this region and my department’s mission to improve patient care sets me up with everything I need to develop a program of research that contributes to reducing HPV-related inequities among communities most in need of cancer prevention.”

For over 20 years, the UAB Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center has been working to translate science into better health for all. Nowhere is the need for such research more evident than in the deep South. UAB and Tuskegee University recognize the importance of supporting early-career faculty who are committed to health disparities research at both institutions.

With funding from the National Institutes of Health Common Fund, the FIRST Partnership team has worked to establish a community of scientists, actively recruiting faculty and welcoming them into their respective peer cluster community.

Meet Taylor Taylor, Ph.D., M.Ed.

Buchanan left her home state to earn a doctorate in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the University of Florida, where she graduated in 2020.

Returning to Alabama, Taylor completed her postdoctoral research, funded by the NIH/NIGMS K12 MERIT Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award, at the UAB Center for Exercise Medicine (UCEM).

During her graduate studies in Alabama and Florida, Taylor was a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. She saw how exercise empowered individuals and improved their physical and emotional health. These experiences inspired a desire to use research to empower more people—especially those experiencing chronic pain.

It was important to her to do her research at UAB because, as Taylor explained, “UAB is centered within a community that is significantly impacted by chronic pain, and thus, I want to be able to support and empower those, particularly older adults, to help manage their pain, maintain their independence, and improve their overall quality of life.

“UAB has a wide range of resources available to foster collaborations and team science necessary for my research.”

Taylor Taylor, Ph.D., M.Ed.

She currently serves as an assistant professor within the Department of Family and Community Medicine and co-leader of the Clinical Research and Admin Team for UCEM. Her research program focuses on chronic pain management in older adults. Specifically, assessing the impact of exercise on neuroinflammation, affect, and pain outcomes in older adults living with fibromyalgia.

Taylor is also a National Institute on Aging Butler-Williams Scholar, a program providing opportunities for junior faculty, researchers, and postdoctoral fellows to gain insight into aging research.

In 2023, Taylor became part of the FIRST cohort of scientists signed to the Benjamin-Carver FIRST program.

“As an early career scientist from a minority background, I saw the FIRST program as an opportunity to gain tools, resources, and support to help me overcome barriers that many face when pursuing a research career in academia and—in the future—help others to do the same,” explained Taylor. “I have gained resource and infrastructure support at the institutional and department levels and also a network of peer support from other minority early career scientists in the FIRST cohort as we progress through our careers.”

About the FIRST Partnership

Longtime partners—UAB and Tuskegee University — received funding from the National Institutes of Health Common Fund to establish a community of scientists committed to health disparities research. Throughout 2023, the Benjamin-Carver FIRST program has been actively recruiting faculty and welcoming them into their respective peer cluster community.

Meet Kirsten Schoonover, Ph.D.

Having consistently worked in research labs (often multiple at a time) throughout her undergraduate career, Schoonover gravitated toward behavioral neuroscience and ended up working in labs focused on Alzheimer’s disease and stroke recovery.

“By that point, I realized I was fascinated by the molecular basis for pathology, and so I prioritized gaining as much of this experience as possible,” Schoonover said.

Schoonover’s interest in psychiatry dates back to when she was 14, when her grandfather suffered from vascular dementia. Then, her graduate mentor, Rosalinda Roberts, Ph.D., ignited an interest in Schoonover to use electron microscopy to study synaptic ultrastructure in schizophrenia.

“Once I entered the field of psychiatry and schizophrenia, I never looked back,” Schoonover said. “It was too fascinating. I knew I could spend my entire life asking questions in this field.”

After earning her undergraduate degree, Schoonover entered her Ph.D. program at UAB, where she did a couple of research rotations her first year before joining Dr. Roberts’ lab.

Now, Schoonover’s studies on the neural basis of the pathology of memory in schizophrenia patients have her analyzing postmortem human tissue to determine how the role of trace metal transport can affect synaptic signaling. She hopes to be able to obtain an R01 level grant and begin brain collections for the Alabama Brain Collection.

Building a career in psychiatry and behavioral neurobiology as a FIRST scholar

Ideal timing led to Schoonover’s connection with the FIRST program. A professor she knew as a graduate student at UAB alerted her to the possibility as Schoonover was contemplating her next moves during year four of her postdoc.

“Perfect timing aside, the FIRST program seemed like a perfect fit,” Schoonover said. “As a graduate student at UAB, I had benefitted greatly from a similar model meant for graduate students and therefore was keenly aware of the significant impact and power that lay within a program like FIRST. Furthermore, I had never been an assistant professor before!”

As she looks toward the future, her long-term goals include creating a brain bank of human samples from diverse populations diagnosed with various psychiatric disorders. This is in an effort to more accurately represent the populations afflicted with serious mental illness. She also strives to become a mentor for underrepresented groups in science.

Schoonover said the FIRST program has been “instrumental” in helping her achieve her goals thus far.

“The FIRST program has united a group of young investigators who all have the same goals: to be successful health disparities researchers who positively impact our fields,” she said. “The support I have received not only from my cohort but from the FIRST mentors has been immeasurable.”

About the FIRST Partnership

For over 20 years, the UAB Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center has translated the science of health disparities and healthy equity into better health for all, and nowhere is the need for such understanding more evident than in the deep South. UAB and Tuskegee University recognize the importance of having representation from individuals with different life experiences, perspectives and backgrounds and who have higher instances of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and overall a higher mortality rate.

To cultivate inclusive excellence at both institutions, longtime partners—UAB and Tuskegee University—apply for and received funding from the National Institutes of Health Common Fund to establish a community of scientists committed to health disparity research. Throughout 2023, the Benjamin-Carver FIRST program has been actively recruiting faculty and welcoming them into their respective peer cluster community.

In this series, we’re spotlighting each of the Benjamin-Carver Scientists—sharing their educational history and plans for future research.

Meet Dr. Demario Overstreet

Demario Overstreet, Ph.D., obtained his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University (AAMU), a historically black college and university (HBCU) in Huntsville, Alabama.

He then completed his doctorate in behavioral neuroscience from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Overstreet is also a graduate of UAB’s NIH AHRQ-funded HSR T32 pre-doctoral program (2018-2021). After earning his Ph.D., he completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine.

Overstreet is a 2023 recipient of the Benjamin-Carver Scientist Award through the UAB-Tuskegee FIRST award. His research examines the biopsychosocial model of pain, investigating how these factors independently and interactively impact the experience of acute and chronic pain in patients following surgical procedures. He is also currently researching mechanisms that contribute substantially to the disproportionate burden of pain in GI conditions (i.e., colorectal cancer and IBD) for women, racial minorities, and individuals living in poverty.

He joined the UAB Department of Surgery’s Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery in August 2023 as an assistant professor.

Pursuing the Answers to Perioperative Pain as a FIRST Scholar

Through three degrees and a postdoctoral fellowship through Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital to study the biopsychosocial model of surgical pain. Through each of these experiences, Dr. Overstreet felt continually drawn to the human element of medicine – to understand how biological mechanisms impact behavior and how we interact with the world around us.

Looking back, Dr. Overstreet notes, “I was most excited to pursue a career in biomedical research because it afforded me the opportunity to combat the medical afflictions that ail all of humankind, especially those conditions that disproportionately burden communities of color and other minoritized individuals.”

As a Benjamin-Carver FIRST Scholar and Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Dr. Overstreet specifically studies individual variability and disparities in surgical pain.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience as a FIRST scholar/Benjamin-Carver Scientist. This program has paired me with an amazing primary mentor, Dr. Daniel Chu, in the Department of Surgery, and provided me with resources such as those required to collect pilot data. The program also helped me identify a mentoring team that will assist with various aspects of my development as an early-career scientist,” says Dr. Overstreet.

In addition to his research, Dr. Overstreet also has a passion for mentorship that began in his graduate school years. When advising students who might also want to pursue a career in research, he says, “I urge students and trainees to redefine their relationship with the word ‘failure.’ When pursuing biomedical research, you will have many days when your equipment malfunctions, a paper is rejected, a grant is not discussed/funded, or your experimental findings are not aligned with your hypotheses. You must use these experiences to fine-tune your scientific vision, research methodology, future studies, and grant submissions. This is what ultimately leads to scientific breakthroughs and success in academia.”

An avid reader, Dr. Overstreet recalls his favorite passage from poet Charles Bukowski and the inspirational meaning it holds for his career in academic medicine and the discoveries to come:

“If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.”

About the FIRST Partnership

The University of Alabama at Birmingham and Tuskegee University have partnered to recruit and support early-career faculty with a research focus on health equity. These faculty, known as Benjamin-Carver Scientists, are part of a program that aims to create a model for systemic and sustainable institutional culture change. With an ultimate goal of achieving health equity, the work of Benjamin-Carver Scientists focus on research areas where disparities are particularly evident in our region.

She explained, “After a crisis of health, one’s story can unfold differently depending on social situations and networks. That’s why I went into cardiovascular behavioral medicine, it’s the intersection of mind and body and I hope to better understand the relationship between the two.”

“I ask questions like, ‘how does insomnia affect someone’s risk for developing cardiovascular disease or experiencing cardiac arrest and how does this affect racial and ethnic minorities,’” Polanka added.

Building a Career in Cardiovascular Research as a FIRST scholar

During her interview process with the UAB Division of Preventive Medicine, a faculty member suggested Polanka apply for the FIRST program as it coincided with her areas of interest and career stage.

Now, as a member of Benjamin-Carver FIRST’s inaugural cohort, Polanka—who has primarily conducted observational epidemiologic research—will continue to explore the mind/body relationship, as well as the implications of racial disparities in the Deep South’s underserved communities. Areas of which have many residents living uninsured and unprotected from a potential crisis.

With the support from UAB and Tuskegee, FIRST scientists such as Polanka have dedicated principal mentors, individual career coaching, group sessions, and professional development opportunities to help facilitate their personal and professional growth.

Polanka looks forward to her future in Birmingham as she says, “I’m excited to get settled into my new home and community.

“As a collaborative, the Benjamin-Carver FIRST program is uniquely positioned to help me network in this new environment. It’s my hope that these connections could lead to exciting intersections—tackling the same problem from a couple different directions.”

Brittanny Polanka, Ph.D.

She added, “Ultimately, as a FIRST scientist, I want to answer the question, ‘If we treat exacerbating factors, can we reduce risk for patients?’”

About the FIRST Partnership

Long-time partners, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Tuskegee University (TU), have come together to establish the Benjamin-Carver (BC) FIRST Scientists—an NIH funded initiative dedicated to building a community of researchers who are committed to health equity research.

BC scientists, named after Dr. Regina Benjamin (18th US Surgeon General and UAB graduate) and George Washington Carver (a nationally recognized TU scientist), inspire and challenge early-career faculty. The institutions do this by surrounding BC Scientists with a comprehensive support infrastructure that includes sponsors, mentors, career coaches, institutional research navigators, and professional development opportunities. Ultimately, with such support, FIRST BC Scientists will be poised to grow in their careers and facilitate innovation and collaboration.

Participants in the program come from research areas including cancer, obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, and cancer. To welcome each member of the inaugural cohort, we’ve created a series that spotlights their educational history, accomplishments, and plans for the future.

Meet Stacy Lloyd, Ph.D., MPH

“When my grandmother was diagnosed, I immediately thought about all the facts surrounding Black women with breast cancer and like that, we became a statistic. It felt like an automatic death sentence,” recalled Lloyd.

“I knew there had to be more to the story. It couldn’t be just because I’m black, I’m more susceptible to every major chronic disease and if I happen to get it, I’m going to die from it. For me, this is where it all started.”

After graduating undergraduate school with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, Lloyd decided to pursue her Ph.D. in Human Genetics and MPH at the University of Pittsburgh.

Following her time in Pittsburgh, Lloyd began her journey as a Kellogg Health Scholar Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Happy to be back home in Houston, this opportunity allowed Lloyd to work as a project manager and research investigator on the AVON Foundation Grant, Houston Breast Cancer Task Force, and NCI’s Environmental, and Social Determinant of Early-Onset Breast Cancer study.

At the end of her fellowship at M.D. Anderson, Lloyd received a second fellowship to study prostate cancer at Baylor College of Medicine—where she would go on to become an instructor.

Building a Career in Cancer Research as a FIRST scholar

After being an instructor at Baylor for 5 years, Lloyd began searching for the next step in her career. After learning that the institution she was currently at was not applying for the FIRST grant, Lloyd knew she needed to pivot. So, she sought help from past mentors and trusted colleagues by creating a committee to help strategize her next move. On that committee was Clayton Yates, PhD., PI and founding senior leadership member of Benjamin-Carver FIRST.

When recommended by Yates to apply, Lloyd recalled, “Clayton taught me that the Benjamin-Carver FIRST program wasn’t like any other promotion I had seen before. Instead, it’s a historic opportunity to create systemic and sustainable culture change; and they do that by investing in my work and supporting me as a person.”

For Lloyd, this was a crucial moment.

“I realized all those years; this is what I had been fighting for—for both my work and self to be valued. Throughout the application and interview process, I saw both UAB and Tuskegee show me that level of respect.” stated Lloyd.

In August 2023, Lloyd officially became part of the inaugural class of Benjamin-Carver FIRST Scientists.

As for what’s next, Lloyd will continue her research in prostate cancer from the perspective of aberrant wound healing and hopes to develop a therapeutic product that can be used to target keloids, as well as cancer.

Through the FIRST program, Lloyd plans to write applications for additional grants and work toward receiving tenure. But most of all, she hopes to conduct personal development in her work.

She pondered, “In the end, I want to leave behind a legacy that changes people’s health, life, and perspectives. But along the way, I want to stay open and objective enough to see where my work can go from here.“

About the FIRST Partnership

Since 2002, the UAB Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center has conducted studies on health disparities and healthy equity. Nowhere is the need for such research more evident than in Alabama and the Deep South. With the UAB and Tuskegee partnership, and the FIRST Benjamin-Carver Scientists, our collaboration advances health equity research and strengthens the ties between our two institutions. Additionally, this opportunity adds value for not just our Benjamin-Carver Scientists, but all early-career faculty, by providing access to resources, facilities, and populations not normally available at one or the other institution.

Meet the Scientist

After a year in her position at the School of Nursing, Allen-Watts returned to UA for her doctorate in Health Education and Promotion. In 2018, having just graduated, gotten married, and purchased a home, she accepted a position as a post-doc at the Heersink School of Medicine’s Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care. While at UAB, Allen-Watts was admitted into the Graduate School’s MERIT (Mentored Experiences in Research, Instruction, and Teaching) Program.

Following her time in the MERIT program, Allen-Watts moved to Indiana University to begin her career in academia as an Assistant Professor. Wanting to firmly plant and accelerate her program of research in the Southeastern region of the U.S., an area laden with disproportionate rates of diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and other health related conditions, Allen-Watts knew this could only be realized by moving back home to Alabama. After connecting with her UAB mentors—Drs. Andrea Cherrington, Suzanne Judd, Marie Bakitas, and Lisa Schwiebert—Allen-Watts applied for the Benjamin-Carver FIRST program. And in 2023, Allen-Watts became part of the first cohort of scientists signed to the program.

Building a Career in Cardiovascular Research as a FIRST scholar

“One of the things that intrigued me about the FIRST program is the idea of having early-career scientist cohorts—you’re part of a community, not just being thrown into the lion’s den by yourself,” explained Allen-Watts.

“And, what I learned about UAB the first time I was here is that everywhere you turn, someone is saying, ‘Here’s a resource for you.’ or ‘Have you looked at this opportunity?’ Everyone is down-to-earth, welcoming, and wants to help you succeed.”

Kristin allen-watts

For Allen-Watts, community is more than what she looks for in a job, it’s a core-value—one which can also be seen in her research. As a Benjamin-Carver scientist, Allen-Watts will continue her studies into how African Americans manage chronic, cardiometabolic multi-morbidity. Looking forward, Allen-Watts hopes to secure funding that allows her to study diabetes and chronic pain in the context of dementia.

“I want to understand how people who don’t have access to care or who mistrust doctors can be incented to take their medications and perform self-managed care,” said Allen-Watts. “I do all this through community engaged research. I love going out into the community, talking with people, and listening to their stories. I try to create and tailor interventions that capture what each community needs.”

“Being part of a program that is named after two individuals—each of whom are known for their expertise, humanitarianism, and innovation—is the perfect space to conduct my research. It reminds me of a quote I heard awhile back, ‘I am my ancestors’ wildest dream,’ [often credited to activist Brandan Odums] said Allen-Watts.

She finished, “Whether I want to or not, I’m standing on the shoulders of Regina Benjamin and George Washington Carver; and I have big shoes to fill. I am eager to make a difference and improve health outcomes .”