Megha Ramaswamy

Professor and Chair of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington-Seattle Campus

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About Megha

Ramaswamy's research focuses on mass incarceration, sexual and reproductive health, and cancer prevention. Ramaswamy is a well-established scholar in the fields of public health and behavioral medicine, with her research portfolio funded by the National Institutes of Health. Ramaswamy mentors a pipeline of trainees from high school and into junior faculty positions. Ramaswamy serves the scientific community on federal grant review panels and the local community on non-profit boards for domestic violence shelters, reproductive health organizations, and community HIV prevention initiatives.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | Member Spotlight | In the News | Publications

Contributions

Why We Need to Talk About Violence Against Women When We Talk About Cervical Cancer Prevention

Commentary, October 2020

In the News

Opinion: "Letters: KC Readers Discuss Justice for Pregnant Woman, COVID Relief and Whiny Democrats," Megha Ramaswamy, The Kansas City Star, 2020.

Opinion: "Letters: Readers Discuss Kansas Liquor Laws, Shackling Women Prisoners and Claire McCaskill," Megha Ramaswamy, The Kansas City Star, 2020.

Opinion: "Lessons Learned From Earlier Corporate Bailouts," Megha Ramaswamy, Opinion, The New York Times, March 17, 2020.

Opinion: "Should Women Rush to Get IUDs Post-election? They Should’ve Been Rushing Along!," Megha Ramaswamy, The Medical Care Blog, December 8, 2016.

Opinion: "Researchers Register Voters in County Jails," Megha Ramaswamy, Racism Review, November 16, 2016.

Publications

"Criminal Justice–Involved Women Navigate COVID-19: Notes From the Field" Health Education and Behavior 47, no. 4 (2020): 544-548.

Describes the COVID-19 experiences of women with criminal-legal involvement in the community.

"Reducing Drug Use, HIV Risk, and Recidivism Among Young Men Leaving Jail: Evaluation of the REAL MEN Reentry Program" (with Nicholas Freudenberg, Jessie Daniels, Martha Crum, and Danielle C Ompad). Journal of Adolescent Health 47, no. 5 (2010): 448-455.

Reports evaluation findings of a program designed to help young men leaving jail prevent HIV risks.

"The Vagina Is a Very Tricky Little Thing Down There”: Cervical Health Literacy Among Incarcerated Women" (with Patricia J. Kelly). Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 26, no. 4 (2015): 1265-1285.

Helps establish the idea of women's cervical health literacy, based on data collected with women in jail.

"Corrigendum to “Impact of a Brief Intervention on Cervical Health Literacy: A Waitlist Control Study With Jailed Women”" (with Jaehoon Lee, Joi Wickliffe, Molly Allison, Amanda Emerson, and Patricia J. Kelly). Preventive Medicine Reports 6 (2017): 314–321.

Reports impact of a brief jail-based women's health literacy intervention that I designed and implemented.