Further advancing this issue’s focus on community-centered healing and knowledge systems, “Wombs, Washes, and Wisdom: Translational Ethnobotany and the Plant Healing Practices of Haitian Women in the Diaspora,” by Ella T. Vardeman, Ph.D., Shelsa Juste, Johanne Jacques, Hitline Lamarre, Edward Kennelly, Ph.D., and Ina Vandebroek, Ph.D., centers Haitian women as key stewards of plant-based medicine and reproductive health knowledge within diasporic communities. Based on community-driven research with Haitian women in New York City, the article introduces translational ethnobotany as an approach that transforms ethnobotanical research into co-created, culturally grounded health resources.
Through collaboration, focus groups, and participatory analysis, the authors demonstrate how traditional knowledge, lived experience, and academic research can work together to produce practical tools that support community health, cultural continuity, and ethical knowledge exchange. The result is a model for research that prioritizes reciprocity, safety, and meaningful benefit for the communities at its core.
Wombs, Washes, and Wisdom: Translational Ethnobotany and the Plant Healing Practices of Haitian Women in the Diaspora
By Ella T. Vardeman, Ph.D.; Shelsa Juste; Johanne Jacques; Hitline Lamarre; Edward Kennelly, Ph.D.; and Ina Vandebroek, Ph.D
Abstract
Community-driven research is important in studies involving women as knowledge holders, as it elevates their voices and agency. This case study adapts the concept of “translational research” following an ethnobotanical survey of Haitian women in New York City (NYC). Moving beyond documenting medicinal plants for women’s health, Haitian participants in community centers were engaged in transforming research findings into practical tools through focus group discussions, in which they re-evaluated and refined the outcomes based on their traditional knowledge and preferences. This collaboration resulted in co-created educational materials—compiled by researchers but authored by Haitian women—that are available in Haitian community centers in NYC and online. This model showcases translational ethnobotany, in which research proactively engages communities to generate practical resources that support their health, knowledge sharing, and cultural heritage. Future ethnobotanical surveys and funding bodies should recognize translational outcomes as essential for ensuring that research benefits communities at its core.
About the Authors
Ella T. Vardeman, Ph.D.
Ella T. Vardeman, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Cassandra Quave’s lab at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She completed her doctoral studies in Plant Sciences at the City University of New York Graduate Center and The New York Botanical Garden in 2025 under the mentorship of Drs. Edward Kennelly and Ina Vandebroek. Her PhD thesis is titled “The Ethnopharmacology of Medicinal Plants for Caribbean Women’s Health”. Dr. Vardeman’s current research continues to focus on commonly used medicinal plants for women’s health and their effect on the vaginal microbiota.
Shelsa Juste
Shelsa Juste is the adult education program coordinator at Haitian Americans United for Progress (HAUP). To meet the needs of the community, Shelsa teaches English as a Second Language classes to Haitian immigrants to enhance their listening, speaking, reading, writing, and numeracy skills in English.
Johanne Jacques
Johanne Jacques is the senior health service manager at Haitian Americans United for Progress (HAUP). Through her work at HAUP, Ms. Jacques has successfully implemented community health
initiatives that have led to increased participation in health screenings and wellness programs. She cultivates partnerships with local organizations, healthcare providers, and policymakers, which have enriched her ability to address the health needs of the population served by HAUP.
Hitline Lamarre
Hitline Lamarre is a coordinator at Haitian Americans United for Progress (HAUP). Ms. Lamarre graduated from York College with a degree in Psychology in 2021. In her role at HAUP, Ms. Lamarre engages with the community through healthcare workshops and immigration assistance.
Edward J. Kennelly, Ph.D.
Edward J. Kennelly, Ph.D., is a full professor at Lehman College, CUNY, specializing in natural products from food and medicinal plants. He completed his doctoral work in plant biology at Washington University in St. Louis under Professor Walter Lewis. His career includes roles as a Staff Fellow at the FDA and a Postdoctoral Fellow in Pharmacognosy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. With over 170 peer-reviewed publications, he is currently supported by the NIH for his work on Aconitum. Dr. Kennelly is the Editor of the ASP Newsletter, a former ASP President, and an ASP Honorary Member. He has also served as a foreign expert at Minzu University of China, a Fulbright Scholar at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a visiting professor at Simon Fraser University. He currently serves as a US Pharmacopeia expert volunteer for botanical dietary supplements and herbal medicine.
Ina Vandebroek, Ph.D.
Ina Vandebroek, Ph.D., is a Professor of Ethnobotany at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica. Her work is rooted in community collaboration to affirm and revitalize traditional knowledge systems that sustain Caribbean biocultural heritage. With over 25 years of experience across Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Caribbean diaspora in New York City, she focuses on preserving culturally important plant diversity and strengthening traditional knowledge for community health, food security, and livelihoods. Her research challenges colonial narratives in science by centering local voices and highlighting the resilience of Afro-descendant knowledge traditions. Ina also develops educational tools that promote culturally grounded healthcare practices. She is Editor-in-Chief of Economic Botany, the journal of the Society for Ethnobotany, and speaks Flemish (her mother tongue), Dutch, English, Spanish, and Jamaican Patois.
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