112: Why Representation Matters within the Endo Community, with Julia Mandeville of Barbados

Today we are so excited to speak with Julia Mandeville. Julia is the co-founder of the Barbados Association of Endometriosis & P.C.O.S. She is currently a doctoral student and as part of her role as a graduate researcher, she is the project coordinator of several research studies investigating barriers to diagnosis for Black people with endometriosis and PCOS. She has focused much of her research and public health intervention efforts on investigating endometriosis in underserved populations, Black women in particular because the disease is not well studied in this population. In 2023, Julia was among the first group of recipients of the Mentoring for Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (MARIE) program. With her MARIE grant, she seeks to further understand the specific barriers Black women with endometriosis encounter in terms of structural racism, systemic discrimination, and internalization of the Strong Black Woman schema. Julia speaks to us today about her research, how a lack of representation affects Black endometriosis patients, and her hopes for the future of endometriosis care in the Caribbean. CONNECT WITH JULIA INSTAGRAM @endoandpcosbb