Dr. Schenita Randolph

The HEEAT Research Lab

By Ellen Richardson

Photos Provided by Still Shots Photography

Over the last few years, there has been a heightened awareness of the health inequities that exist in the African American/Black community as well as the impact that racism has on health outcomes. These inequities and racism, however, are not new and have shown to have a profound and negative impact on Black Americans. A group of advocates throughout the Triad and the Research Triangle areas of North Carolina are addressing health disparities through equity, engagement, advocacy, and trust. Led by Nurse Scientist and researcher Dr. Schenita Randolph, The HEEAT Research Lab is committed to finding solutions and ensuring the improved health of the Black community, specifically in the areas of sexual health and HIV.

“The addressing Health Disparities through Engagement, Equity, Advocacy, and Trust Research (HEEAT) Lab was established alongside fellow researchers, nurses and clinicians, entrepreneurs, and community members dedicated to addressing health inequities within the Black community,” said Randolph.

“We highlight the significant role of Fathers in promoting adolescent male sexual health, while recognizing the impact that experiences of racism and discrimination have had and continue to have on Black males health and health outcomes.” Randolph also shared that the Centers for Disease Control has identified racism as a serious threat to the public’s health.

As a nurse for over 25 years, Randolph has always had a heart for educating young Black males and females, primarily due to the disparities in health, specifically for sexually transmitted infections and HIV. “Before working on the academic side of healthcare, I was a public health nurse. I saw young males and females coming in for HIV and other sexual health screenings. I also understand as a Black woman how race and gender discrimination impacts health care delivery and outcomes,” she said. “Witnessing all of this, I made it my mission to do what I can to address health inequities within our community through education, research, and advocacy.”

Randolph partners with trusted community members, such as barbershop and beauty salon owners, to provide the education and resources necessary to promote health in the community. The HEEAT lab has developed an intervention called UPDOs (Using PrEP, Doing it for Ourselves) Protective Styles. UPDOs Protective Styles is a salon-based intervention developed in partnership with researchers and the community to promote awareness, knowledge, and uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black women living in the United States south. Black women in the US make up 12 percent of the population but account for 60 percent of new HIV cases among women. PrEP is a pill that, if taken daily, reduces the risk of one contracting HIV. It has been proven to be 99% percent effective. However, less than one percent of Black women who are eligible for this preventative measure actually use it. The HEEAT Lab just wants women to be aware and knowledgeable so they can make informed decisions about their own health. UPDOs takes a comprehensive approach and addresses the overall health of Black women in the US, including HIV, cardiovascular disease, and intimate partner violence.

This salon-based intervention has partnered with salon owner Tamica Campbell Hughes of Kotur Kutz in Greensboro, NC. Hughes offers awareness and education for area African American women about PrEP or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. Educating trusted partners like Tamica Hughes about these and other women’s health issues such as cardiovascular disease and intimate partner violence, can have a widespread community impact.

According to Hughes, her salon’s partnership with Randolph and The HEEAT Research Lab has been life-changing. “Partnership with this social research lab offers knowledge that will help stylists and their clients provide support for improving women’s health. The truth is that by reaching one woman, you can change the world. Getting the knowledge is the first step to protecting you and your body, and this is a great life-altering message for stylists to share with women throughout the community,” Hughes shared.

Thanks to other available social, behavioral programs like The Talk, Randolph and her partners are assisting parents in having the necessary tools to support and guide young Black male youth in their sexual health and understand the impacts of racism on health behaviors and outcomes. “This web-based application includes podcasts that feature perspectives from fathers, videos that showcase the importance of seeking racial equality, as well as other valuable content that helps start the conversations between fathers and sons. We also encourage mothers to leverage this information to help them build healthy relationships with their sons and provide resources to help their sons make healthy sexual health decisions,” Randolph says. Partners for The TALK include Gene Blackmon, Barber and Owner of Prestige Barber College in Greensboro, NC, and Akili Hester, Barber and Owner of Black Wall Street Barbershop in Durham, NC.

The HEEAT Research Lab: UPDOs Program Development Team

Pictured from left to right are Dr. Ragan Johnson, Co-Investigator, Dr. Schenita Randolph, Director and Principal Investigator, Allison Johnson, Clinical Research Coordinator, Crystal Taylor, Executive Producer for UPDOs, Tamica Campbell Hughes, Community Partner and Stylists, and Corrina Dunn, Community Partner and Stylists. Other members of the HEEAT Lab not pictured include Gene Blackmon, Barber and Owner Prestige Barber College, Akili Hester, Barber and Owner of Black Wall Street Barbershop, Aaron Lyle Jr., CEO Black Fly on the Wall, Dr. Harvey Hinton, Terrance Pleasants, Davon Washington, Dr. Cherie Conley, Dr. Selena Monk, Candice Lewis, and Kelvis Tann.

Randolph describes herself as a “Nurse Scientist who genuinely cares about her work having a real-world impact in the community.” When asked what lies in the future for the HEEAT, Randolph has a clear response. “As a researcher in academia, it is important for us to test our interventions to evaluate if they have the intended outcomes for which they were created, so we are now recruiting women to test the UPDOs intervention site.”

Without any question, Randolph and The HEEAT Lab are doing their part to improve the health of Black Americans. Please visit their website for more information.