CHUKA EMEZUE

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Centering Youth Voices and Health Equity Through Research and Innovation

Chuka Nestor Emezue

Ph.D., MPH, MPA, CHES®

/EDUCATOR, AUTHOR, RESEARCHER/

Chuka Nestor Emezue (Choo-Kah • A-May-Zu-Way) is a professor and researcher at Rush University College of Nursing. He holds a Ph.D. in Nursing Science, dual master’s degrees in Public Health and Public Affairs, and a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from Niger Delta University, Nigeria.

Dr. Emezue’s work advances community- and technology-driven interventions to improve mental health, reduce violence and substance use, and promote upward mobility among youth, particularly rural, Black, and immigrant boys and men impacted by firearm violence. His research explores factors shaping program uptake, service avoidance, and coping strategies across systems.

Dr. Emezue’s work advances community- and technology-driven interventions to improve mental health, reduce violence and substance use, and promote upward mobility among youth, particularly rural, Black, and immigrant boys and men impacted by firearm violence. His research explores factors shaping program uptake, service avoidance, masculinity, and coping strategies across the life span.

He leads two culturally grounded interventions:

BrotherlyACT™, a digital tool offering life skills coaching, safety planning, and chatbot support for Black boys at risk of violence and substance use;
FatherlyACT, a trauma-informed, nurse-led family program focused on breaking intergenerational cycles of domestic violence and strengthening father–child relationships.

Dr. Emezue’s research is funded by the NIH/NIMHD, ITM/CTSA, the Cohn Family Foundation, and the Rush-BMO Health Equity Institute. He also collaborates with global organizations including UNICEF, the UN Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, and the Brady-Deaton Institute.

A 2023 Public Voices Fellow and RBIHE Health Equity Scholar, Dr. Emezue has authored over 40 academic and public-facing works. His op-eds on youth violence, fatherhood, and masculinities appear in The Chicago Tribune, Ms. Magazine, The Trace, The Messenger, and others.

Questions that drive my ReSearch and MeSearch

How can we prevent firearm injuries and homicides among youth across all risk levels?
How can we reduce emotional and service avoidance among trauma-impacted youth in violence-exposed, resource-rich cities?
What experiences help young people permanently disengage from violence and criminal behavior?
How can tech-based interventions improve youth mental health and reduce disparities in underserved communities?
How can we use technology to humanize and support young Black males affected by violence, shifting from punitive models to those rooted in dignity, empowerment, and care?