Kamilah Thomas-Purcell, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.C.H.E.S
Dr. Kamilah Thomas-Purcell's scholarship focuses on understanding how culture, ethnicity, and social-ecological and institutional factors influence preventive health behaviors. She brings specific expertise in health education, community-based participatory research (CBPR), cultural influences on health, and qualitative research methods, with numerous publications in these areas. Her cultural competence is grounded in years of experience conducting health disparities research with underrepresented populations. Her international work experience has further deepened her awareness and appreciation of cross-cultural issues, which she continues to leverage in her efforts to improve health outcomes for medically underserved communities.
As an Associate Professor of Health Science at Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Thomas-Purcell teaches undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral-level courses, including Global Health Policy, Current Issues in Health Care, and Epidemiology. In her prior role as an Assistant Professor of Public Health and Nutrition at the same institution, she taught graduate-level courses such as Health Literacy and Health Disparities, Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health, Principles of Health Education, Foundations of Public Health, and Interprofessional Leadership. Her inclusive teaching approach incorporates visual, auditory, and tactile techniques to engage students from diverse backgrounds effectively.
Dr. Thomas-Purcell earned her Ph.D. in Public Health with an emphasis in Community and Family Health from the University of South Florida. She also holds an M.P.H. in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Bachelor of Health Science degree from the University of Florida, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from Miami Dade College. Her research collaborations include work with prominent organizations such as the United Nations Population Fund, amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research), Moffitt Comprehensive Cancer Center and Research Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Cancer Institute Center for Global Health, and the Caribbean Public Health Association. Dr. Thomas-Purcell is both a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) and a Registered Nurse (RN). She frequently presents her research at national and international conferences.
Her research interests include cancer prevention and control, chronic disease self-management, health literacy, and the use of mobile technology to deliver tailored health education interventions. Currently, she is leading an NIH-funded study titled Caribbean Investigation of Cancer Stigma and Its Effect on Cervical Cancer Screening and HPV Vaccination. Her previous grant-funded research includes:
- Exploring Religion and Spirituality as a Key to Addressing Cultural Barriers to Health Literacy
- Woman to Woman: A Cervical Cancer and HIV Prevention Program for Grenadian Women
- Perspectives on the Uptake of Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening in the English-speaking Windward Islands.
Dr. Thomas-Purcell is a prolific author and a passionate advocate for health equity and culturally responsive public health initiatives.