Donna Cole PhD, MPH, MEd

Dr. Donna Cole is a medical sociologist with public health expertise in infectious diseases. She is a former research fellow of the Yale School of Public Health, where she conducted research on racial health equity and HIV/AIDS among African Americans. Her research underscores the reality that a key driver of HIV-related morbidity is incarceration. Dr. Cole’s research examines the health consequences of justice involvement for African Americans and people with mental health and substance use disorders. Cole’s research corroborates earlier findings that harsh drug sentencing and penalties have fueled mass incarceration, fail to reduce crime, and have not decreased access to substances or substance use. Cole found that public health interventions like overdose prevention centers reduce overdose fatality rates and infectious disease transmission. In 2023, she advocated for the passing of Bill No. 9 in Connecticut. Bill No. 9 proposed the establishment of facilities for supervised substance use. These facilities found throughout Europe, Canada, and the United States, provide medical treatment, peer support, and remove the threat of justice involvement for participants.

Dr. Cole’s recent research examines the impact of overturning Roe v. Wade on African American women. Cole’s research findings suggest that African American women are particularly vulnerable to the law based on where they live. She notes that in states with restrictive policies, African American women suffer higher rates of ICU admissions, post-natal complications, and maternal mortality. Professor Cole is an advocate for restorative justice. She supports Justice for Melanin Boys, a non-profit dedicated to improving outcomes for justice-involved African American males and disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline. Cole supports Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), a non-profit that advocates for sentencing reform.

Many of Cole’s former students have successful careers in advocacy, research, policy, law, and medicine. Professor Cole’s approach to teaching is based on principles of restorative justice. She approaches teaching as an opportunity to assist students in understanding the implications of policy for vulnerable and marginalized populations. She encourages her students to design interventions that produce racial equity and to conduct research that will enhance their structural competence.