Dr. Khalilah Johnson has received the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Scholars for Action award.
Johnson is an assistant professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy in the Department of Allied Health Sciences in the UNC School of Medicine. The $250,000 grant will support her project, Disrupting the Cycle of Inaccessible Healthcare and Community Supports for Minoritized People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supports research to identify and address the root causes of health inequities in the United States that are strongly linked to structural and systemic racism and other forms of oppression.
Health Equity Scholars for Action is a career development program aimed to support academic advancement of researchers from historically underrepresented backgrounds who conduct health equity research. Grants are awarded to address the challenges that underrepresented researchers experience, help them overcome obstacles to earning tenure and make progress toward acquiring independent research funding. Grants are designed to support three aspects of career development: research, mentorship and connection with a community of support.
Earlier this year, Johnson received a 2021 MLK Unsung Hero Award from the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, an initiative of the Office of the Provost at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Khalilah Johnson, PhD, OTR/L, also serves as a board member for the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity and is a board member for the Society for the Study of Occupation: USA.