Shenita began her career in the medical field as a medical assistant which spawned her interest in nursing. After completing a bachelor's degree in biology at UC Berkeley, Shenita pursued her nursing graduate degree at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU), an institution devoted to social justice and health equity to create a world without health disparities. It was through a Bridges to Doctorate Program at CDU that she earned an opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree here at UCLA out of the School of Nursing. Today her dissertation research is funded by Tobacco Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) as she works with African American light smokers, intent to find ways to inform more culturally tailored interventions for African American smokers overall.

Research Interest: 

African American light smokers' perceptions, attitudes and experiences with tobacco use and cessation behaviors.