What happens when Black women lead — not just participate in — the science of health equity?

In this season’s powerful finale series opener, host Niasha Fray sits down with Dr. Schenita Randolph and Dr. Ragan Johnson, Co-Directors of The HEEAT Lab at Duke University School of Nursing, to explore how beauty salons are becoming trusted spaces for community health, connection, and HIV prevention among Black women in the U.S. South.

Dr. Randolph shares:

“You know, I'm a PhD-prepared nurse, and there are less than one to two percent who are Black, who have PhDs focused around research and nursing. And so we have co-created Black PhD nurse scientists, where we're trying to bring awareness to the role of the nurse scientist.”

Together, these dynamic nurse scientists reveal how culturally grounded research, salon partnerships, and trusted relationships are transforming the landscape of public health — one conversation at a time.

✨ In This Episode:

• The science behind trust and health equity
• Why beauty salons are powerful spaces for prevention and advocacy
• The story behind Black PhD Nurse Scientists
• How Black women are leading solutions through culture, care, and community

🎙️ About the Series: Doing IT for Ourselves is the fifth and final series of Season 4 of Questions You Didn’t Ask — a podcast by Niasha Fray Consulting LLC that uncovers the questions we didn’t ask, breaks silence and isolation, and confronts stigma, fear, and avoidance that often lead to poor health outcomes.

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