Hailey’s dedication to using an intersectional lens in their health equity work and her innovative approach to research makes them a valuable contributor to the field of public health.

Hailey Johnston is a second-year Master of Public Health student in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Equity at the University of Michigan. Driven by a passion for health equity and a commitment to advocacy, Hailey focuses their research on the sexual health needs of sexually and gender-diverse (SGD) individuals with disabilities — a strategically undervalued group that faces compounded barriers to adequate healthcare. Her work seeks to address the critical gaps in sexual health services for this population by developing a culturally humble training model for healthcare providers.

The research project supported by this fellowship is titled “Sexual health across the margins: LGBTQA+ people with disability.” Hailey’s internship, which is a required component of their MPH program, has been conducted in partnership with the Translational Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University in Australia. During their time abroad, they engaged in developing an arts-based research design to explore the unique challenges faced by SGD individuals with disabilities in accessing sexual health services. Her project aims to identify barriers and facilitators to culturally safe and accessible sexual healthcare, ultimately contributing to the development of a standardized model of care that does not currently exist.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Hailey exercises their passion for social change through her role as the founding board president of a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting SGD adolescents and young adults with cancer.

Her long-term goal is to pursue a PhD in health behavior and health equity, where she plans to continue her work as an embodied researcher focused on improving healthcare access and outcomes for strategically undervalued communities. Hailey’s dedication to using an intersectional lens in their health equity work and her innovative approach to research makes them a valuable contributor to the field of public health. Her work not only fulfills her academic requirements but also lays the foundation for meaningful advancements in healthcare for SGD populations globally.

CEW+ celebrates Hailey’s devotion to uplifting marginalized communities and names her a Simson Family Graduate Fellow.