About
Meet Leonore Okwara, MPH
I have been a military spouse for 16 years and in the community-engage research field for 14 years. As you can imagine, I have moved a lot, which means that I have constantly had to learn new research protocols, research team dynamics, and the historical and lived experiences of many communities.
Fortunately, at every institution, I’ve learned something valuable, whether that was how to help your community members tell their story, how to show up in the community and keep your word, how to navigate through the institutional red tape, how to create templates to ease the stress of training the ever rotating research team member positions.
I also witnessed the stress that newly funded researchers and their research staff suffered when trying to meaningfully engage with the community, but falling short or managing the overwhelming day-to-day community-engaged research activities.
Because of my diverse experience with research teams and communities across the country, I have created a “toolbox” of community engagement and program management strategies, trainings, and templates that will take this pressure off.
Public Health Research Consulting is the toolbox.
I provide community engagement and research program management guidance and development to researchers (postdocs, and early career researchers) and research staff (program managers, research coordinators, and research assistants).
With strategies that align directly with your proposed research activities, you can address barriers in your study before engaging the community, thereby minimizing the stress that comes with implementing a study with so many moving parts.
With each new research team I joined, I had to quickly develop a way to familiarize myself with the research plan and the community served.
With my guidance, instead of frustration and burnout, you’ll become clear and confident that your research is conducted, documented, and reported according to the funder’s requirements and community’s needs.
I provide community engagement and program management guidance and development to researchers (postdocs, and early career researchers) and research staff (program managers, research coordinators, and research assistants).
With strategies that align directly with your proposed research activities, you can address barriers in the study before engaging the community and you’ll become clear and confident that your research is conducted, documented, and reported according to the funder’s requirements and community’s needs.
I knew a poorly managed research study could be detrimental to the community it was intended to serve and result in further mistrust and adverse health outcomes.
Why Public Health Research Consulting was founded
I started my business because of my passion for helping researchers effectively engage the community and manage community-based research activities.
As I recruited participants for research studies, I quickly became aware of their lack of confidence in research, due to adverse historical experiences.
I knew that to change their perspective of research, I had to conduct the research in an organized way that was culturally appropriate.
I also realized that I was the link between the community and the researcher and it was crucial that I followed the research plan to build and maintain the community’s trust of the process.
I can teach you the strategies needed to effectively manage your research study, so that you maintain the professional credibility and community confidence that you have worked so hard to build.
As I recruited participants for research studies, I quickly became aware of their lack of confidence in research, due to adverse historical experiences.
I also realized that I was the link between the community and the researcher and it was crucial that I followed the research plan to build and maintain the community’s trust of the process.
I can teach you the strategies needed to effectively manage your research study, so that you maintain the professional credibility and community confidence that you have worked so hard to build.
My Mission
To help all researchers effectively manage their community-engaged research studies to build and maintain community trust.
Ready for help engaging the community or managing your research study?
You don’t have to figure it all out on your own.
