Biography

Kathleen P. Banks, DrPHc, MPH, is a health systems researcher specializing in the translation of evidence to practice. She is internationally recognized for leading pivotal research to address disrespect and abuse during childbirth during her tenure at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Ms. Banks has partnered with decision makers from the global to the local level to design and implement policies and programs that advance the quality of healthcare. Her work includes managing a postpartum hemorrhage clinical trial in Zambia; supply chain operations for infant HIV testing; quality improvement in urban and rural health centers in Tanzania and Ethiopia; social determinants of health research in the Mississippi Delta; and analyzing access to essential medicines for chronic illnesses in Kenya. She was one of the first COVID-19 contact tracers in 2020 and served as the Health Policy Fellow for Rep. Tami Gouveia at the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Ms. Banks is completing her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree at the Boston University School of Public Health. Her research focuses on access to patient-centered healthcare for Long COVID. She has been a researcher with the Patient-Led Research Collaborative since 2024.