RESEARCH
“My research addresses the intersection of urban living, race, class, gender, health, and social risk for people involved in the criminal legal system”
For the last decade, my work on sexual, reproductive health, and cancer prevention among people with criminal legal system involvement has been continuously supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Cancer Institute, with a portfolio totaling $15 million for research and training. I develop behavioral and systems-level interventions that address the intersection of sexual health and cancer prevention.
I take community health problems, work with stakeholders who are experts of their own lives, and come up with plans for how best to implement solutions at individual, practice, and policy levels. I have written 100+ articles for the academic press and blogosphere, and have a series of documentary shorts about the research on YouTube @DrMeghaRamaswamy.
In the community I have served on the boards of local public health, reproductive health, violence prevention organizations, and on community/city councils for HIV prevention and gender equity. I recently served the scientific community as Chair of the Community Influences on Health Behavior NIH study section.
Art by Morgan Zion
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NIH UL1TR002366/ KL2TR002367: Frontiers KL2 Program: The Heartland Institute for Clinical and Translational Research
U01MD017415: Localized mHealth approach to boosting COVID-19 testing and vaccine literacy, access, and uptake among women with criminal legal system involvement
R25GM137272: Teachers and Students for Community-Oriented Research and Education: Linking Industry Partners, Faculty, and Teachers (TSCORE LIFT)
2R01 CA181047: Sexual Health Empowerment for Women's Health Literacy and Prevention
R01CA226838: Tri-City Cervical Cancer Prevention Study among Women in the Justice System
R01 CA181047: Sexual Health Empowerment for Cervical Health Literacy and Cancer Prevention
R21 CA204767: Correctional and Public Health Links to Bolster HPV Vaccine and Cancer Prevention
KL2TR000119-03: Social Context for Sexual Health Risk and Health Care Access among Women Leaving Jail
R03 CA162869: Understanding the Cervical Cancer Health Gap for Women in Jail
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University of Kansas Cancer Center Director’s 2021 Young Scientist, 2021
National Minority Quality Forum's 40 Under 40 Leaders in Health, 2021
Director’s Closing Disparities Award, University of Kansas Cancer Center, 2019
Community Guardian Shield Award, AdHoc Group Against Crime, 2018
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FULL TEXT of all papers here.
Ramaswamy M, Satterwhite CL, Lipnicky A, Emerson A, Griffin P, Ash D, Ault K. Recommendations for Delivering COVID-19 Vaccine in Jails: Evidence from Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri. Am J Public Health. 2021 Jun;111(6):1035-1039.
Satterwhite CL, French V, Allison M, Honderick T, Ramaswamy M. Access to contraception in local health departments, four Midwest states, 2017-2018. Contraception. 2019;99(6):363-367.
Kelly PJ, Allison M, Ramaswamy M. Cervical cancer screening among incarcerated women. PLoS One. 2018;13(6):e0199220.
Ramaswamy M, Lee J, Wickliffe J, Allison M, Emerson A, Kelly PJ. Impact of a brief intervention on cervical health literacy: A waitlist control study with jailed women. Prev Med Rep. 2017 Dec 06;8:303-305.
Ramaswamy M, Kelly PJ. "The Vagina is a Very Tricky Little Thing Down There": Cervical Health Literacy among Incarcerated Women. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2015;26(4):1265-1285.
Emerson A, Allison M, Kelly PJ, Ramaswamy M. Barriers and facilitators of implementing a collaborative HPV vaccine program in an incarcerated population: A case study. Vaccine. 2020;38(11):2566-2571.
Allison M, Musser B, Satterwhite C, Ault K, Kelly P, Ramaswamy M. Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Knowledge and Intention Among Adult Inmates in Kansas, 2016-2017. Am J Public Health. 2018;108(8):1000-1002.
Emerson AM, Wickliffe J, Kelly PJ, Ramaswamy M. Feminism and Bourdieusian Social Theory in a Sexual Health Empowerment Project with Incarcerated and Recently Released Women. Soc Theory Health. 2019;17(1):57-74.
Art by Morgan Zion
The University of Kansas Sexual Health Empowerment (S)HE team made documentary shorts to showcase people’s stories of strategizing, succeeding, and navigating health and social life after jail.