An Intersectional Approach to Violence: What’s Gender Got to Do With It?

Worldwide, 1 in 3 women experience emotional abuse, physical violence, sexual violence, and stalking in their lifetime. Sexual and gender-diverse communities experience violence at higher rates than those who identify as heterosexual. Participants will learn about research on the effects of violence that lead to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance use issues. They will have an opportunity to discuss effective prevention interventions and support for survivors.

Speakers

Karina Villalba, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor, University of Central Florida

Dr. Villalba received her Ph.D. in Public Health with a focus in Health Behavior and MPH in Environmental Health from Florida International University. She joined UCF College of Medicine in 2020 as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Population Health Sciences Department with a joint appointment at the Violence Against Women Faculty Cluster. Dr. Villalba is a biobehavioral scientist with a broad understanding and training in basic and behavioral sciences. Her research focuses on the intersectionality between HIV violence, substance use and mental health in women. Dr. Villalba has engaged in interdisciplinary, collaborative research nationally and internationally. She has also established a Women’s GlobalHealth Research Lab at UCF with the vision to improve the health of women with an international focus on Latin America and Spain. This is a multidisciplinary network across universities to address the challenges of gender-based violence in the region through academic and research initiatives.

Elizabeth Amaya-Fernandez, MPH

Senior Public Health Diversity Advisor, University of Nevada

Liz is an educator/trainer on social justice, sexuality and gender, global health, substance use prevention, and other public health issues. They work full-time as a Senior Public Health Diversity Advisor at the Larson Institute for Health Impact and Equity at the University of Nevada, Reno. She has been working as an adjunct professor at various colleges & universities in New Jersey since 2006. Her courses include human rights, gender and sexuality, women’s health, global health, and other public health courses. Liz is also a full-spectrum doula providing birthing, post-partum, and transition support to people of all genders. Prior to joining the University of Nevada, Reno, Liz worked as a health educator at Rutgers University and William Paterson University. She has also worked as Director of Education at the National Latina Health Network. Liz is the founder and director of Artemis Retreats, LLC. They have a master’s in public health from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Sabena Thomas
sathomas@adelphi.edu

This event is part of National Public Health Week. To find out more, please visit the NPHW website.