Jennifer Richards

Title: Assistant Scientist

Location: Navajo NationTuba City, AZ

Biography

Jennifer is Ásh’hi (Salt Clan) born for the Oglala Lakota Oyate. Her maternal grandfather is Taos Pueblo and her paternal grandfather is Oglala Lakota. She joined the Center for Indigenous Health in 2013 in Tuba City, AZ on the Navajo Nation. With over 15 years of public health experience in Southwest and Northern Plains tribes, her research focuses on reducing American Indian (AI) health inequities through family and child health (FCH) approaches and Indigenous research methodologies. Since 2013, Jennifer has led various FCH initiatives including: early childhood home visiting, diabetes prevention, teen pregnancy prevention, adolescent health promotion and fatherhood empowerment. Her research interests also include the role of Indigenous doulas in promoting maternal mental health and improving birth outcomes in rural AI communities.

Jennifer obtained both her MPH in Maternal and Child Health and PhD in Health Behavior Health Promotion from the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona.