Columbia Heights, MN — Manka Nkimbeng is using research and policy to address health inequities in African immigrant communities. She was raised by her grandparents in Cameroon where access to healthcare was limited. After immigrating to America, she continued to see the ways in which healthcare systems do not work well for everyone, which inspired her career in public health. She works as a researcher and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health where she developed a dementia education program for African immigrants and implemented public health education for Black immigrants. The Bush Fellowship will enable her to continue closing equity gaps in healthcare through coalition-building and conflict resolution. She also will develop an advisory committee for feedback and build her self-care practices.
