Ophelia Zornu is a doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh, where she explores culturally responsive approaches to mental health equity. She holds a BA in Social Work from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana and an MSW from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in Michigan.
Her research focuses on health disparities affecting youth, immigrants, and communities of color. Through an empowerment-focused lens, Ophelia seeks to explore culturally grounded interventions that promote mental wellness and resilience. She has worked extensively in communities of color and with underrepresented populations in both practice and research settings.
Before joining Pitt, Ophelia served as a Health Equity Intern with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s (AAFA) HEAL program, where she conducted qualitative interviews, supported community needs assessments in Denver, and developed health promotion content for AAFA’s Black Women’s Asthma Alliance. She also led outreach and education initiatives at the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan, addressing housing-related health concerns.
Ophelia has held teaching and research assistant roles at KNUST and GVSU, contributing to projects such as the DAAD-funded research on ”Combating COVID-19 in Ghana Using Children’s Arts”, GVSU’s School of Social Work Study Abroad program to Ghana, and a presentation at the 2025 Michigan Academy of Arts and Sciences Letters conference.
Research Interests
- Health Disparities
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health
- Cultural Interventions
- Protective Factors
