Jillian (or Dr. B as she is affectionately called by her students) is currently an Executive Director of the Center for Parent and Teen Communication (CPTC) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). For more than two decades, her research expertise has focused on designing and implementing culturally relevant, community-based health interventions that lessen the burden of health disparities among marginalized populations. Jillian holds a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) from Drexel University, and she is also a community mental health counselor and a professional coach.
Jillian is originally from Bronx, NY. She has been married for 14 years to her amazing husband, Gamal. The couple has three beautiful children — nine year old twins, Gavin and Jemma, and three year old Amari. Prior to the birth of their twins, the couple endured two years of fertility struggles and many invasive tests. They opted to use Clomid to increase their chances of conception which ultimately resulted in a healthy — but HARD — full-term twin pregnancy. Since being open with others about this experience, Jillian has heard a multitude of fertility and maternal health challenges that many sister friends have endured, often in isolation. These collective experiences prompted the development of A Tribe Called Fertility, a support system for Black women and their families as they endure fertility and maternal health issues.