Inspiring Conversations with Dr. Allison Mathews of Community Expert Solutions, Inc.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Allison Mathews.

Hi Dr. Allison; so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Since my youth, I have always been passionate about advocating for the most marginalized people in society. I grew up in Texas with a family in Louisiana and was exposed to various cultures and people of different socioeconomic statuses. Early on, I learned that it was important for us, especially those from marginalized groups, to stand up against bigotry and advocate for resources and education that could mitigate discrimination and disparate outcomes. My passions led me to pursue training in sociology at Howard University (BA) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (MA, Ph.D.). I also completed two postdoctoral fellowships focused on addressing HIV stigma and increasing the diversity of participation in clinical trials to find a cure for HIV. Based on that work, I co-founded HIV cure research day (Dec 14) with Kimberly Knight to raise awareness about HIV cure clinical trials and encourage racial/ethnic minorities to participate in the process of finding a cure for HIV. As executive director of the Gilead COMPASS Faith Coordinating Center, my work more broadly focuses on engaging faith communities, especially Black faith leaders, to learn more about HIV and integrate programming and messaging into their communities to address stigma. We have launched the Black Faith & HIV Initiative (www.blackfaith.org) to provide opportunities for faith communities to complete certificates in HIV and Faith, certified by Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity; virtual access workshops; and engage in local events to advance the work of mitigating HIV stigma in their faith spaces.

You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a smooth road?
I have had to overcome personal challenges related to anxiety due to past relationship trauma, which also inspired my passion for raising awareness about HIV and empowering women to be proactive in all aspects of their lives, including work and romantic relationships. My anxiety has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and exacerbates feelings of burnout. Still, thankfully, through therapy, prayer, exercise, and meditation, I am starting to see the other side of it!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Community Expert Solutions, Inc.?
Community Expert Solutions, Inc. is a social enterprise consulting company that uses social science research, social marketing, technology, and communications to advance health equity. We have worked with research nonprofits, such as George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University, FHI 360, UNC-Chapel Hill, and MDgroup, to enhance our scientific understanding of ways to engage minorities in research better, address stigma, and promote access to clinical trials.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.communityexpertsolutions.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/_allisonmathews
• Facebook: www.allisonmathews.com
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/allisonmathews
• Other: www.blackfaith.org