Alexis Woods Barr, PhD

Alexis Woods Barr is a postdoctoral research associate at the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute in the Department of Maternal and Child Health at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Dr. Woods Barr uses a social justice and intersectionality lens to center the lived experiences of African American families concerning their intergenerational infant feeding communication across the reproductive life cycle. Her work seeks to better understand how communication functions to influence breastfeeding outcomes in this community from preconception to postpartum. Ultimately, she plans to contribute to the knowledge set of maternal and child health by developing culturally specific breastfeeding intervention programs that aim to support, protect, promote, and re-normalize breastfeeding, while also empowering this marginalized community.

Honors and Awards

Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science, and Practice Traineeship

2019, University of South Florida

People of Color Breastfeeding Lactation Education Scholarship

2019, Tampa Bay Breastfeeding Taskforce

APHA Public Health Education and Health Promotion Student Award

2019, American Public Health Association

McKnight Doctoral Fellowship

2018, University of South Florida

2017 Annual APHA Student Scholarship

2017, American Public Health Association

9th Annual Graduate Student Research Symposium

2017, University of Florida

McNair Graduate Assistantship

2012, University of Florida Staff

Research Activities

At CGBI, Dr. Woods Barr provides research expertise for multiple programs to improve healthcare quality for the mother-infant dyad. She supports the evaluation of a hospital-based quality improvement initiative focused on maternity practices leading to Baby-Friendly designation based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. She also supports a W.K. Kellogg grant to develop lactation consultant training programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to increase representation of people of color in professional lactation services.

Service Activities

- Research Committee Member, Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association (BMBFA) Black Breastfeeding Caucus (2020)

- Member, State of Black Health Task Force (2020)

- Member, Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health (ATMCH) (2018-Present)

- Member, National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color (2018-Present)

- Member, Sisters of the Academy (2017-Present)

Staff/Administrative Duties

- Project management and evaluation of outcomes from programmatic implementation science research.

Education

PhD, Public Health, University of South Florida, 2019

MS, Nutritional Sciences, University of Florida, 2012

BS, Nutritional Sciences, University of Florida, 2009