Anthony Nixon Jr., a doctoral student in public health sciences at the Brown School, has been selected as a recipient of the Race and Ethnicity Scholar Fellowship for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The fellowship is awarded by the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity (CRE2) at Washington University, established in 2020 to study how race and ethnicity are integral to the most complex and challenging issues of our time.
As part of the fellowship, Nixon will receive funding to support his research efforts, along with mentorship and professional development opportunities. The fellowship is also renewable for a second year.
Nixon is eager to contribute to the CRE2 community and delve deeper into his research.
“I am thrilled and honored to be chosen for this incredible opportunity,” he said. “I am excited to become part of this cohort of like-minded fellows, share my research work with my peers, attend center events, and take advantage of special professional development opportunities. I am looking forward to aligning with other researchers who do health equity and social justice work. I believe this program could be a really valuable opportunity in doing that.”
Patrick Fowler, associate professor and director of the doctoral program in public health sciences, said “Anthony is an exceptional emerging race and ethnicity scholar focused on promoting health among young Black families. The CRE2 fellowship provides a wonderful opportunity to engage with other students and faculty across campus studying the complexities inherent in dismantling historical racism and segregation.”
Nixon’s research lies at the intersection of epidemiology, social structures, and societal conditions impacting maternal and child health. His current research incorporates epidemiological methods to understand the Black maternal and child health crisis and its underlying causes. His work emphasizes Black fathers as powerful allies for improving Black maternal health and child health outcomes to reduce health disparities.
Currently, Nixon is a research assistant supporting the Fathers First Initiative, a joint program between WashU, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital to support fathers and father figures. Throughout his career, Nixon has assumed various roles in public health, contributing at the local, state, and federal levels. Prior to attending WashU, he served as a Senior Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist managing data initiatives for Cradle Cincinnati at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Before that, Nixon worked as an epidemiologist for the City of Cincinnati for nearly four years.
“I have a passion for community-level work and public health,” Nixon explained. “I want to make sure that my work aligns with giving back to the community and making a social impact. Making a difference is crucial to my work.”