Jamila Taylor

headshot of Jamila Taylor

Jamila Taylor

M.P.A., Ph.D.

National Health Policy Leader

Affiliate Faculty


Department: Center for Community Resilience

Dr. Jamila Taylor is a national health equity leader, seasoned health policy researcher, and social justice advocate. A renowned health policy expert, Taylor's work centers issues related to maternal health and reproductive justice, focusing on the structural barriers to access to health care, racial and gender disparities in health outcomes, and the intersections between health care and economic justice.

Throughout her 20+ year career, Taylor has championed the health and rights of women both in the U.S. and around the world, promoting policies that ensure access to vital health care, including building support for abortion access, ensuring safe and compassionate reproductive and maternal health care, and dismantling structural racism within the U.S. health care system. She has held leadership positions in national organizations, including the Center for American Progress, the Century Foundation, the National WIC Association, and others. She started her career as a congressional staffer in the office of Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) in the late 1990s.

Taylor has published and presented extensively on various public policy issues. Her work has been seen in The Hill, RealClearPolicy, RealClearHealth, The Nation, U.S. News and World Report, Yale Journal of International Affairs, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, Scientific American, Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, as well as a host of other publications. She has provided commentary on the most pressing health care issues of our generation on NPR, Morning Consult, Women@Work—Powered by the Wharton School, C-SPAN, Fox News, Black News Channel, BBC World News, Politico Live, and other media programs. Dr. Taylor is a highly sought-after expert by national and international press, as well as by U.S. government officials, academics, health care advocates, and other key stakeholders. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Howard University, a Masters degree in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Hampton University.