UCL-Lancet Lecture 2024: Professor Linda Villarosa

Professor Linda Villarosa, based in New York, is a journalist, author, editor, novelist, and educator. Currently serving as a professor and journalist in residence at the City University of New York (CUNY), she teaches journalism, medicine, and Black Studies at The City College of New York in Harlem. In her current role as a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine, Professor Villarosa covers topics related to race, inequality, and health.

As a journalist Professor Villarosa held editorial roles for the health pages of the New York Times and as executive editor for Essence Magazine. Throughout her career, Professor Villarosa’s writing has received awards from organizations such as The American Medical Writer's Association, the New York Association of Black Journalists, and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. Additionally, Prof Villarosa uses her expertise to train journalists across the globe to better cover the HIV/AIDS epidemic at international AIDS conferences.

An accomplished author, Professor Villarosa has authored and co-authored three books, including "Body & Soul: The Black Women's Guide to Physical Health and Well-Being" and "Passing for Black," the latter earning a Lambda Literacy Award nomination. Her latest work, "Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation," received acclaim as a 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist and was featured in the New York Times' '10 Best Books of 2022.