Brief Bio

Nicole Thomas, MBA, CDP is the Director of the Urban Health Lab (UHL). As Director of the Urban Health Lab , she works closely with the Faculty Director to create and execute the strategic vison to achieve racial, environmental, and economic justice for Black and Brown people and neighborhoods. The mission of the UHL is, rooted in the power of community, we leverage research and action to dismantle structural racism and catalyze healthier, safer, and greener neighborhoods including greenspace creation, expansion, and activation is central to our work with authentic community partnership as the catalyst for change. In her role as cofounder and Co-Director of the Penn Community Scholars Program, which was created in 2015 to train and equip community members with the skills needed to conduct research and co-lead community-academic partnerships, she has trained over 55 community members representing over 50 community and faith-based organizations. She is cofounder and Co-Director of REACH (Research and Equity in Academic Community Partnerships for Health), a new initiative at Penn which aims to create the infrastructure to facilitate the formation, development, and sustainability of impactful community-academic partnerships. Nicole is a lifelong resident of Southwest and West Philadelphia.