Hadiya Severin is a Master’s in Public Health candidate at Tufts University School of Medicine with a concentration in Behavioral Science and Health Communication. She holds a BS from Oakwood University, an HBCU in Huntsville, AL, and is a certified doula and lactation specialist. This has informed her research work on doula program implementation at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. There is no better teacher than experience and Hadiya believes to become the mother she wants to be, she must help pave the way for those who also want to bring life into the world.

As a strong advocate for Black maternal health and public health disparities, Hadiya hopes to empower her community through proactive, integrative policies. She aspires to earn her Ph.D. in Maternal Health and Birth Justice, with the ultimate goal of bringing her knowledge and skills to her parent’s home island, St. Lucia. As a first-generation American who loves her St. Lucian and Guyanese culture, she celebrates it any chance she gets and spends as much time with her family as possible. She loves educating young people and supporting black excellence.

Joining the MOTHER lab has been an aspiration of Hadiya’s since starting her public health journey at Tufts’. Being under the mentorship and guidance of Dr. Amutah-Onukagha has been and continues to be an irreplaceable experience for her. She believes, this team is an amazing group of diverse powerhouses that are revolutionizing the world as we speak, and she is honored to be a part of this amazing team.