Photo of Crooks, Natasha

Natasha Crooks, PhD, RN

Assistant Professor

Department of Human Development Nursing Science

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Contact

Building & Room:

NURS 816

Address:

845 S. Damen Ave., Chicago IL 60612

Office Phone:

312-996-5801

Email:

ncrooks@uic.edu

Related Sites:

About

Dr. Crooks is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Nursing and faculty affiliate at the Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science (CDIS) in the Department of Medicine. Her community-engaged research program centers on addressing sexual health disparities among Black girls and women. Her current research focuses on the development and testing of IMAGE (IMARA for Black Male caregivers and Girls Empowerment) a family based HIV prevention intervention designed to increase the protection of Black girls' sexual and reproductive health funded by NIMHD (R01MD018929).

Dr. Crooks earned her BSN and PhD in Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed NIH-funded (K12GM0000580), postdoctoral training at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Her research has been supported by federally- and internally funded awards. Dr. Crooks is actively involved in several organizations such as the National Black Nurses Association and Center for AIDS Research.

Dr. Crooks career is dedicated to protecting Black female sexual and reproductive health. She has been invited to collaborate on projects to aimed at improving Black maternal health outcomes, and HIV outcomes among Black sex workers in Chicago.

 

Selected Grants

NIH/NIMHD (R01MD018929), A Family-Based HIV Prevention Program for Black Men to Protect Black Girls, Principal Investigator

Center for Clinical and Translational Science (UL1TR002003), Centering PrEP for Black Women in Chicago, Co-Principal Investigator

Center for Health Equity Research NIH/NIMHD (U54MD012523-01), Protecting Black girls: Development of Family-based Sexual and Reproductive Health Intervention, Principal Investigator

Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy Faculty Fellowship, Protecting Black girls Sexual Development: A Family Intervention, Principal Investigator

NIH/NICHD (UG3HD096875), Multilevel Comprehensive HIV Prevention for South African Adolescent Girls and Young Women, Co-Investigator

Selected Publications

  1. Crooks, N., King, B., Tluczek. A., & Sales, J.M. (2019). The process of becoming a sexual Black woman: Results of a grounded theory study. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Doi:10.1363/psrh.12085
  2. Crooks, N., King, B., & Tluczek., A. (2019). Protecting Black female sexuality. Culture, Health and Sexuality. Doi: 10.1080/13691058.2019.1632488
  3. Crooks, N., Singer, R.B., & Tluczek, A. (2020). Black Female Sexuality: Intersectional Identities and Historical Contexts. Advances in Nursing Science. Doi: 10.1097/ANS.0000000000000332
  4. Crooks, N., Donenberg, G., & Matthews, A. (2021). The Ethics of Research at the Intersection of COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter: A Call to Action. Journal of Medical Ethics. Doi: 10.1136/medethics-2020-107054
  5. Crooks, N., King, B., & Tluczek A. (2022). Being fast or cautious? Conditions influencing the sexual pathways of Black females. BMC Women’s Health. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01644-x
  6. Crooks, N., Sosina, W., Debra, A., Donenberg, G. (2022). The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Black Girls: A Socioecological Perspective. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsab13
  7. Crooks, N., Singer, R.B., Smith, A., Donenberg, G., Matthews, A., Patil., C. Johnson, AK., Haider, S. (2023). Barriers to PrEP Uptake Among Black Female Adolescents and Emerging Adults: An Intersectional Perspective. Preventive Medicine Reports. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.102062
  8. Crooks, N., Barrie, R., Singer, R.B., & Donenberg, G., (2023). The role of the Strong Black Woman in Black Female Sexual Development. Archives of Sexual Behavior. Doi: 10.1007/s10508-023-02529-2
  9. Crooks, N., King., B. Donenberg., G., & Sales., J.M. (2023). Growing up too “Fast”: Black girls’ Sexual Development. Sex Roles. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-023-01390-w
  10. Crooks, N., Debra, A., Coleman, D., Sosina, W., Singer, R., Green, B., Caldwell, C., Johnson, W., Patil, C. Jeremiah, R., Matthews, A., Donenberg, G. (2023). Application of ADAPT-ITT: Adapting an Evidence-Based HIV/STI Mother-Daughter Prevention Intervention for Black Male Caregivers and Girls. BMC Public Health. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16364-6