Brenice Duroseau
Johns Hopkins University: PhD Candidate
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C)
Certified Inpatient OB Nurse (RNC-OB)
Certified HIV Specialist (AAHIVS)
LATEST PROJECTS
Project | 01
Project | 01 Beyond the Clinics
As a family nurse practitioner I learned early on that we needed to meet people where they are, in order to make a measurable change. Often times I would attend meetings that involved discussing barriers to care and how to address these barriers. The barriers discussed unfortunately have been the same for many years and aside from minor tweaks here and there our overall approach had not changed much. We were missing the point that access to healthcare was not a privilege afforded to all. In addition we were operating on the assumption that healthcare and wellness exams/testing was valued and a trusted resource for everyone.
I decided I needed to implement a disruptive yet innovative approach to how I would educate and reach patients. That idea required moving beyond my desk and clinic sites and reaching out to community members, who were already engaged with our interest populations, in order to reach those who were most in need. I started presenting at churches, women's conferences, schools, etc to educate and empower patients. At most of these functions I would collaborate with community partners to provide free HIV/Hep C testing and education.
Project | 02
Project | 02 Disentangling Red Tape
I'm working on launching a podcast called Disentangling Red Tape with Dominique Guillaume. This podcast will be a platform for thought provoking conversations about navigating healthcare, academia, research, corporate america, and life as black, immigrant, female, health care professionals.
Each episode will be aimed at tackling topics such as is there really a hidden curriculum, why is our natural hair considered untamed, beauty politics, the image of black nurses on social media, sex, stigma, culture, and more.
The title of this podcast was chosen to really highlight and fight against the "red tape" and hurdles black women have to navigate, even as accomplished professionals. The time and energy spent disentangling processes/systems that were put in place without us in mind, often leads to burn out, delayed success, impostor syndrome, and more. We hope we can use our voices and the experience of others to be a change agents in this male dominated world, that is full of red tape.
Project | 03
Project | 03 Global Vaccine Equity Lab
I’m thrilled to share a collaboration with my friend, peer, and colleague Nodar Kipshidze, MS, MPH, at Columbia University. This project began as a spontaneous conversation about the dynamics of team-based science, the hierarchies within labs, and the inequities students often face—especially when it comes to publishing on topics we’re passionate about versus projects driven by others. Both of us share a commitment to advancing equity in public health, and during the pandemic, we found ourselves immersed in online conversations aimed at debunking mis/disinformation and promoting vaccine literacy, confidence, and informed decision-making (not simply vaccine uptake). While we both would have loved for widespread vaccination early on, we recognized the need for nuanced approaches that respect informed choice and address the historical mistrust in our healthcare systems.
These conversations led us to officially launch a lab focused on equity in vaccine allocation and uptake, which has already resulted in several publications, conference presentations, and ambitious plans for scale-up. Though balancing the lab with our PhD studies has required patience, we’re excited to continue expanding our scope to address broader issues like emergency preparedness and response, and to create a stronger foundation for equity in public health. We’re currently rebranding to reflect these evolving interests and to engage even more deeply with pressing issues beyond vaccines.