Dr. Kanika Harris is the Executive Director of the National Association to Advance Black Birth, where she leads national research, policy, and programming to advance birth justice and improve outcomes for Black and Indigenous families.

A behavioral scientist, doula, filmmaker, and nationally recognized expert in maternal and reproductive health equity, Dr. Harris previously served as Maryland’s Maternal Health Equity Advisor and as the public health expert for Washington, D.C.’s Lactation Commission. She also created NOURISH, an innovative initiative designed to expand the birth-worker pipeline while addressing both the immediate and structural causes of maternal health inequities.

Her expertise and advocacy have been featured by CNN, OWN, ProPublica, NPR, and The Washington Post.

Dr. Harris earned her Master of Public Health in Public Health and International Development from Morehouse School of Medicine and her PhD in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Michigan. She is also the proud mother of three children the world can see.