The Beginning…
Dr. Fedoria Rugless was born in Michigan, but also claims the states of Alabama and Tennessee as home. In 2007, Fedoria received her B.S. in Biomedical Sciences, with honors, along with minors in both Chemistry and Music, from Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama. She went on to continue her educational pursuits at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine where she was a Yates scholar, a fellow in the Molecular Epidemiology in Children’s Environmental Health Training Program, and graduated with her Ph.D. in Molecular Epidemiology in 2012. Her research interests have spanned from studying exposure effects and neuromotor performance, to patient centered outcomes, cancer research, HIV behavioral surveillance, and community based participatory research.
The Work…
She has presented her work in several publications, and at various conferences nationally and internationally which include the American Public Health Association Annual meeting & Expo, Center for Environmental Genetics Regional Showcase, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference, American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, and the Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health. She is also a Certified Clinical Research Professional through the Society of Clinical Research Associates. Dr. Rugless has previously led out in clinical research regionally at the Baptist Memorial Hospital Cancer Center, the State of Tennessee Department of Health, and Church Health Center Clinic, and has given oversight to various initiatives, served as a liaison between various investigators, university faculty and students, along with community partners and organizations, with the goals of building a strong, nationally recognized, collaborative research programs and networks that enhances the community-based and clinical work being done within model organizations. She also championed and led the Live! Memphis Breast Cancer Consortium, which lowered the breast cancer incidence rates for African American women in the Mid-South. Fedoria also served as Population Health & Health Equity Director for Wellpoint, a member of Anthem, Inc. where she provided direction and oversight for efforts to improve the health and well-being of the Tennessee health plan’s Medicaid membership.
The Service…
Dr. Rugless serves on the board of various organizations locally inclusive of the Mid-South Food Bank, the Iris Collective, the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, and the American Heart Association Heart Walk. Fedoria also has a passion for education and is adjunct faculty at various institutions within the region. She is an esteemed member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the National Association of Health Services Executives, National Association of County & City Health Officials, American Public Health Association, Women in Medicine and Science, and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. She is the proud founder and CEO of Holistic Harmony Inc., which specializes in health and wellness, consultation, grant writing, proposals, musicianship, production, and event management. Some of her extracurricular activities include mentoring, traveling, playing the piano, singing with various musical ensembles including the Memphis Symphony Chorus, Patrick Riddick & D’vyne Worship, and the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church Sanctuary Choir & Praise Team, and spending quality time with family and friends. She has been named in the Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40, a New Memphis Institute Leadership Fellow, an American Heart Association Mid-South Woman of Impact, and is a member of Oakwood University’s inaugural Top 40 Under 40 Class. Ultimately, she has a strong love for people, a desire to reduce healthcare disparities within underserved populations, and a burden for all to obtain holistic optimal health and wellness.
