Dr. Ashley May Ruiz is a nurse scientist, clinician, and educator whose work sits at the intersection of advocacy, community engagement, and research. As an Assistant Professor at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Dr. Ruiz is dedicated to exposing and addressing healthcare disparities—particularly those related to secondary victimization following experiences of violence. Her research, deeply rooted in Black Feminist Thought and Intersectionality, offers a critical lens on how healthcare systems can mirror and perpetuate historical ideologies that re-traumatize marginalized communities. Through qualitative inquiry, she amplifies the voices of women who have been historically excluded from protection and care following sexual assault, particularly within healthcare institutions. By examining the role of nurses in this dynamic, Dr. Ruiz’s work challenges systemic inequities in healthcare delivery that contribute to health disparities.
Her motivation to pursue nursing research stemmed from frustration in clinical practice, where she repeatedly witnessed a lack of evidence-based research that accounted for the unique needs of marginalized communities. “I was frustrated by the lack of research representing the patients I most commonly served and how these gaps impacted healthcare decision-making and outcomes,” she explains. She encountered countless patients who described their healthcare experiences as re-traumatizing, sparking her drive to investigate the power dynamics between healthcare providers and vulnerable populations. This ultimately led her to uncover a distinct form of secondary victimization—a type of violence that results in the re-traumatization of sexual assault survivors due to their racial and gender identities within the nurse-patient relationship.
Dr. Ruiz’s research has played a pivotal role in improving nursing and healthcare responses to sexual assault survivors, informing statewide training programs in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia. Her work supports a cultural shift within healthcare delivery, promoting trauma-informed and culturally safe approaches that comprehensively support patient well-being.
More recently, she has merged her expertise in environmental health sciences with gender-based violence research to investigate how rapid-onset disasters exacerbate pre-existing social crises, such as violence against women. Given the increasing severity and frequency of natural disasters, her research is both timely and urgent. By better understanding these dynamics, her work can inform policies, practices, and future research to mitigate health inequities at the intersection of environmental and social determinants.
Dr. Ruiz’s Filipino heritage has profoundly shaped her research philosophy and professional trajectory. Coming from a Kapampangan family known for its history of resistance to colonization, she has long been attuned to issues of oppression and systemic exclusion. “My Filipino heritage is a deep component of why I focus on decolonizing approaches in research that is done with and for people,” she shares. She carries the teachings of her grandfather, who instilled the belief that every member of the community is valuable and important. Watching him assist fellow Filipinos in navigating the challenges of migration and settlement in the United States, she learned the importance of collective upliftment—an ethos that now underpins her work as a nurse and researcher.
“When we use words like health equity, we must understand that the way we treat the most vulnerable among us is a reflection of ourselves,” she emphasizes. For Dr. Ruiz, amplifying marginalized voices is not just an academic pursuit—it is a responsibility.
At the heart of her research is a commitment to challenging dominant ideologies in healthcare. She highlights how nursing as a profession has historically struggled to assert its unique knowledge base and its critical role in promoting human well-being. Her work critiques the ideologies that shape our understanding of language, history, and lived experiences—particularly how these perspectives manifest in healthcare delivery. “I hope my findings will impact nursing practice by challenging and recommitting to what it truly means to be a profession built on healthy relationships with people,” she explains. She urges nurses to re-examine how they have been trained to think about inclusion and exclusion, emphasizing the need to dismantle the societal conditioning that fosters an “us vs. them” mentality. Her goal is to inspire nurses to fully embrace their leadership potential in driving meaningful change, ensuring that patient-centered care is rooted in respect, empathy, and equity.
Despite the groundbreaking nature of her work, Dr. Ruiz acknowledges the challenges of being an early-career researcher in today’s political climate. She notes that current threats to science—such as the erasure of historical truths and marginalized voices—extend beyond academia, holding dire consequences for society as a whole. “The acceptability of denying people’s existence and disregarding those most vulnerable encourages the normalization of abuses of power,” she warns. In the face of such challenges, she remains resolute, reminding herself and others that “living is resistance.” Throughout her career, she has drawn inspiration from the communities she partners with—those who continue to lead innovative solutions to address food insecurity, housing instability, and inequitable healthcare access. These community-led efforts highlight the resilience of marginalized groups as agents of change, demonstrating how science often lags behind the lived realities of those most affected by systemic inequities.
For Filipino nurses and students aspiring to enter research and academic leadership, Dr. Ruiz offers essential advice: Lean into the knowledge and history of the Filipino people. She points out that Filipinos have long navigated challenges that are now becoming more visible in dominant American society, bringing with them a wealth of cultural knowledge that can be harnessed to drive change. “We carry a distinct and unique struggle within our own profession as Filipino people in nursing,” she says. However, she stresses the importance of leading with respect, joy, and a deep understanding of one’s purpose. “I was always shown the importance of leading through relational approaches that show respect, the importance of fostering joy and appreciating life despite challenges, and the importance of remembering what you stand for and what that means for you within your role as a nurse.”
As a nurse scientist investigating the impact of natural disasters on gender-based violence, Dr. Ruiz has observed a growing recognition of Indigenous knowledge in disaster preparedness and response. She sees this as a crucial moment for the global Filipino nursing community to advocate for sustainable, equitable, and culturally safe responses informed by Indigenous Filipino knowledge. Given the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters, she argues that incorporating Indigenous and community-based knowledge is essential in addressing current and future threats to human survival. “I want to remind our global Filipino community that there is power in remembering our history, to make sense of our present, and to envision a future that supports the health of us as Filipino/a/x people,” she asserts.
Dr. Ruiz’s work exemplifies the power of nursing research as a tool for social transformation. Her commitment to amplifying the voices of survivors, challenging inequitable healthcare practices, and addressing the compounded effects of gender-based violence and environmental crises underscores her mission to improve health outcomes. Her message is clear: Research is not just about generating knowledge—it is about action. It is about valuing humanity and ensuring that healthcare delivery is a place of healing, not harm.
