Dr. Amanda Hensley

IGC FELLOW GRADUATE    |   Global Change Center

VT GRADUATE May 2026  • 

Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health

Research Interests: Public health implementation science, immunology and infectious disease, health equity for diverse, under-engaged, and rural populations

Advisor: Dr. Kathy Hosig

amandaah@vt.edu

Dr. Amanda Hensley, PhD, MHA, MCHES, successfully defended her dissertation, Bridging Gaps: Evaluating Strategies to Improve Vaccine Uptake and Strengthen Clinical and Translational Research Recruitment Among U.S. Adult Populations, in May 2026, completing her Ph.D. in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health (TBMH) at Virginia Tech. Her dissertation included evaluations of vaccine uptake strategies for U.S. adult populations, and recruitment strategies of underrepresented populations into NIH-funded research, culminating in the creation of ReFrame, a health equity-oriented framework for planning and evaluating research recruitment strategies. She currently teaches graduate-level courses at Virginia Tech, including topics like community needs assessment, program planning, and health behavior/implementation science models.

Amanda's path has been interdisciplinary. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Georgia, which led to a decade as a managing editor for scientific journals, books, and encyclopedias, and a B.S. in Biology from Hollins University, where she researched Monarch Waystation plant diversity and Drosophila photoreceptor protein interactions. She later earned a Master's in Healthcare Administration from Radford University Carilion, focused on health policy, strategic management, and clinical research methods. Alongside these degrees, she conducted immunological and cancer research at Carilion Clinic's Basic Research Laboratory and interned with its Community Health and Outreach office, creating the quarterly publication Easy Health.

At Virginia Tech, Amanda was a graduate research assistant with TBMH and the Center for Public Health Practice and Research (mentored by Dr. Kathy Hosig) and with the integrated Translational Health Research Institute of Virginia (iTHRIV), where she produced 14 educational videos on clinical research participation and team science approaches with community partners. She also served as a TBMH graduate teaching assistant and instructor of record for the Science of COVID-19 pathways course. As a fellow in the Global Change Center's Interfaces of Global Change (IGC) program, she worked on environmental health and policy projects and co-led Flip the Fair, an outreach project connecting elementary students with graduate researchers, which began as her IGC capstone project and has become an annual event in partnership with Roanoke Public Libraries and Roanoke City Public Schools.

In the News

Amanda Hensley Receives University Aspire! Award (Fralin News 2025)

Last updated July 2026.