Dr. Watkins' Birth Work experience spans two decades, and was conceived while a High School Volunteer within the Labor and Delivery/NICU Unit at Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Based on this pivotal experience, Dr. Watkins went on to study Biology/Pre-Medicine at Xavier University of Louisiana, during which time she completed a Summer Medical and Dental Enrichment Fellowship at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina and subsequently served as a Student Volunteer in Touro Hospital's Emergency Room Unit (New Orleans, Louisiana). Shortly after earning her Bachelor of Science in Biology with Minor in Chemistry, Dr. Watkins embarked on a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Minority Health and Health Disparities International Research Training Program Fellowship in the Chemistry Department at the University of Cape Coast in Cape Coast, Ghana, Africa.  Through this international research experience, Dr. Watkins conducted Organic Chemistry and Ethnobotany research, in addition she was fortunate to train with Traditional Healers and shadow an OB/GYN at Central Regional Hospital in Cape Coast Ghana, Africa.  Upon returning stateside, Dr. Watkins went on to pursue Masters and Doctoral level training at Montana State University, Virginia Tech, and Texas A&M University, respectively with focus on vector and vector-borne disease control using cutting-edge genetic engineering approaches. Dr. Watkins has completed rigorous scientific research and policy fellowships including Graduate Summer Opportunity to Advance Research (G-SOAR Cohort 1) at NIH National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research ( 2016 in Rockville, Maryland), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowship (2019-2021 in Washington, D.C.), and U.S. State Department Embassy Science Fellowship (Summer 2021-- U.S. Embassy Lima in Lima, Peru). Dr. Watkins has a professional acumen that includes Trade and Regulatory Policy Advising and Development, International Development and Capacity Building Program Startup and Management, and Current and Emerging Food Security and Global Health Threats Mitigation across sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

Prior to realizing and answering her calling, Dr. Watkins spent 4+ years in Corporate America and achieved accolades including her historic selection as 2024 Black Engineering of the Year (BEYA) Most Promising Scientist Award recipient. However, soon after this prestigious recognition, Dr. Watkins was personally impacted by the reproductive and maternal health disparities that disproportionately impact Black, Brown, and Indigenous birthing mammas in the United States, when forced to move through pregnancy loss in the confines of her Rural home in Mississippi. Dr. Watkins acknowledges that her ability to overcome this life-changing experience was her Divine awakening to return to birth work, and with this realization, she is on the mission to provide comprehensive support to birthing mammas and families, with the goal of empowering their birthing experience for improved maternal and infant health outcomes across the Deep South!