Nia-Simone Woods is a senior research assistant in the child welfare program area. Nia-Simone graduated from Spelman College with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Her research interests focus on children, reproductive health, genetic ancestry, and increasing equitable access to resources for children and families across all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. She is particularly interested in how social perceptions and experiences based on race, ethnicity, and gender identity directly impact access to care and health outcomes for reproductive matters globally.

During her time as an undergraduate, Nia-Simone served as a research assistant at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University where she worked on analyzing diabetes health disparities in various central Brooklyn communities and developing a multitiered intervention plan with consideration for ethnic background and geographic location. Nia-Simone additionally served as a fellow of the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) in collaboration with the French Embassy where she taught primary school-aged children about the English language and American culture in Paris, France. Nia-Simone completed her senior thesis on the links between the historical legacy of media messaging and public perception surrounding contraception in Black and Latinx communities in the contemporary US.