Sharon D. Parker
Associate Professor
Dr. Sharon D. Parker, PhD, MSW, MS, is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Georgia, where she also has a courtesy appointment in the School of Medicine. She is the founder of The Health Equity Research and Innovation Lab (theHERILab), a growing interdisciplinary hub dedicated to advancing community-engaged research, innovation, and training to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes in the South and beyond.
Dr. Parker is a health equity and social determinants of health researcher whose work explores how structural, social, behavioral, and biological factors intersect to influence the acquisition and transmission of infectious diseases—particularly HIV and COVID-19—among historically marginalized populations. Guided by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework, her scholarship examines the multidimensional influences of incarceration, gender inequality, intimate partner violence, and substance use as drivers of health inequities.
Her interdisciplinary research program incorporates biomedical prevention, implementation science, and community-based participatory research (CBPR) to promote equitable access to prevention and care. Dr. Parker leads studies on the expansion and implementation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black women, students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), individuals involved in the criminal justice system, and Black sexual minority men and transgender people. Her recent projects focus on creating culturally relevant PrEP messaging for Black women and advancing ethical methods for HIV molecular surveillance among people living with HIV.
Dr. Parker is an expert in rapid qualitative analysis and participatory research. She collaborates widely across disciplines, universities, and community organizations to develop and translate evidence-based, community-informed solutions that promote public health equity. She partnered with MPACT Global Action for Gay Men’s Health & Rights to train community leaders in rapid assessment and qualitative methods. With over twenty years of combined experience in clinical work, research, and administration in mental health, substance use, and the criminal justice system, she applies her practical expertise to create translational, community-driven approaches that connect research, policy, and service delivery.
Before joining UGA, Dr. Parker served as Interim Associate Dean of Research and Innovation and Associate Professor of Social Work at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She completed National Institutes of Health (NIH) postdoctoral training at Brown University and The Miriam Hospital in the Department of Infectious Diseases. She was an inaugural Ujima Fellow at the University of California, San Francisco’s Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS). Dr. Parker is an alumnus of the Council on Social Work Education Minority Fellowship program.
Her national service demonstrates a strong commitment to social justice, public health, and workforce equity. Dr. Parker was appointed to the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission for Diversity and Social and Economic Justice, where she helps promote equity and anti-oppressive practices in social work education. She is also an active member of the National Working Positive Coalition, a network of people living with HIV, service providers, researchers, and advocates working to improve responses to employment needs among individuals living with or at risk of HIV in the United States.
In addition, Dr. Parker collaborates with RISE (Resilient In Sustaining Empowerment), a community-based organization that provides trauma-informed services and advocacy for victims and survivors of gun violence. RISE offers targeted support for mothers, children, and youth affected by violence and develops youth empowerment and prevention programs to strengthen community resilience.
Through her research, mentorship, and community engagement, Dr. Parker advances a vision of health equity grounded in inclusion, ethics, and empowerment. Her scholarship exemplifies the integration of science, social work, and public health to address structural inequities and foster sustainable community well-being.
