Phyllisa Deroze

Dr. Phyllisa Deroze is a professor of American Literature with special interest in the intersections between literature, feminism, and health. A former Fulbright Scholar, she writes professionally about Type 2 diabetes for academic and mainstream audiences. After being diagnosed with Type 2 in 2011, she noticed that there was a lack of culturally competent information for African Americans and started blogging at ‪DiagnosedNotDefeated.com‬‬‬ and founded Black Diabetic Info to fill the gap. Annually, Phyllisa offers free diabetes management classes to members of her hometown of Pompano Beach, Florida as a part of her commitment to community outreach. She is currently working on a project that examines the connections between food, culture, and type 2 diabetes among underrepresented groups in America and abroad.