Ashley Ruiz

Dr. Ashley M. Ruiz, PhD, BSN, ADN, RN, is a tenure-track Assistant Professor at Emory University in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and a clinician with a specialization as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. Her research expertise in qualitative inquiry is rooted in Black Feminist thought and Intersectionality to examine secondary victimization, a form of violence within systemic responses that lead to re-traumatization following sexual assault in healthcare. Dr. Ruiz’s methods and methodologies center women’s voices to support advances toward health equity. Her work has been used across state-wide trainings to improve healthcare responses to women experiencing sexual assault in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia.

In addition, Dr. Ruiz explores the syndemic effects of rapid-onset climate-related disasters on women’s experiences of gender-based violence in the Southeastern region of the United States. In turn, Dr. Ruiz's research merges environmental health sciences with expertise on gender-based violence against women in anticipation to future health threats.

• Strong publication record of 19 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, as well as 4 manuscripts under peer-review, 1 in revise and resubmit, 2 published abstracts, and 6 scholarly blog contributions.
• Ongoing funding support for research training and projects from diverse sources, including extramural, intramural, and philanthropy funding support
• Lead facilitator of the Syndemic Health, Environment, and Disasters lab with over 20 international and national volunteer undergraduate and graduate student research assistants

• Registered Nurse License (Wisconsin) 199345
• Registered Nurse License (Georgia) 333039
• Basic Life Support
• Graduate Certificate in Trauma-Informed Care

• Pediatric and Reproductive Environmental Health Scholars (PREHS) K12. (2024). The Intersection of Natural Disasters and Gender-Based Violence Against Women: An Examination of the Social and Environmental Determinants Impact on Women’s Health
• The Rita Hillman and Alex Foundation. (2024). Examining the Healthcare Models Impact on Black and Indigenous Women’s Experiences of Secondary Victimization Following Sexual Assault: A Maricopa-County-Based Pilot Study.
• Women of Emory Impact Circle. (2025). The Intersection of Climate-Related Disasters & Gender-Based Violence Against Women.

• Injury Prevention Research Center
• Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research
• Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International
• Center for Advancing Interprofessional Practice, Education & Research

Ruiz, A. M., Moore, K. M.*, Woehrle, L. M., Kako, P., Davis, K. C., & Mkandawire-Valhmu, L. (2023).   Experiences of dehumanizing: Examining secondary victimization within the nurse-patient relationship  among African American women survivors of sexual assault in the Upper Midwest. Social science &  medicine (1982), 329, 116029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116029

Ruiz, A., Luebke, J., Moore, K., Vann, A. D., Gonzalez, M., Jr, Ochoa-Nordstrum, B., Barbon, R., Gondwe, K., &

Mkandawire-Valhmu, L. (2022). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on help-seeking behaviours of   Indigenous and Black women experiencing intimate partner violence in the United States. Journal of   Advanced Nursing, 10.1111/jan.15528. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15528

Ruiz, A.M., Luebke, J., Klein, K., Moore, K*., Gonzalez, M., Dressel, A.E., & Mkandawire-Valhmu, L. (2021). An integrative literature review and critical reflection of intersectionality theory. Nursing inquiry, e12414.

Ruiz, A., Luebke, J., Klein, K., Hawkins, M., Callari-Robinson, J*., Mkandawire-Valhmu, L (2021). The Role of Hegemonic Masculinities in the Lives of Ethnic Minority Women. Advances in Nursing Science. 44(1).

Visit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/ashley.ruiz.3/bibliography/public/ 

ORCID Public Record: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3523-5515