When Scholarship Becomes Community Impact!
What happens when research, professional expertise, and community partnerships come together to address a critical health challenge?
For Lisa Brownlee Johnson, the answer is Wisdom Watch Alliance Inc., a nonprofit helping expand access to dementia education, cognitive screenings, and caregiver support, particularly in underserved Black communities.
As a member of the Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF) Sister Scholars Advisory Council, Lisa exemplifies how scholarly engagement can create pathways to meaningful community impact.
Her contributions include:
- Advancing strategic partnerships: Contributing to the development of DREF’s relationship with the Alzheimer’s Association and educational programming that included a national three-part webinar series on dementia awareness.
- Translating research into action: Publishing a foundational literature review in Phillis: The Journal for Research on African-American Women, helping identify gaps in early cognitive screening and recognition that informed the development of Wisdom Watch Alliance.
- Building community-centered solutions: Co-founding and leading Wisdom Watch Alliance Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to expand dementia literacy, combat elder abuse, and offer no-cost cognitive screenings in community settings.
- Connecting clinical expertise with entrepreneurship: Leading Atypical Care LLC, where her practice as an autonomous nurse practitioner focuses on geriatrics, functional medicine, and mental health education.
Through Sister Scholars, DREF brings together accomplished women whose collective expertise, research, leadership, and service help address consequential issues affecting African American women, families, and communities.
We proudly recognize Lisa Brownlee Johnson for demonstrating what is possible when scholarship, entrepreneurship, and service converge. Congratulations, Soror Lisa, and thank you for the impact you continue to make.
