About
Lexi Hopkins Cunningham, MPH (she/her/hers) is a graduate of Yale College and Yale School of Public Health where she received her BA and MPH, respectively. She is a suicidologist. Her research analyzes the history of suicide among Black people and she uses that lens to understand the current crisis of death by suicide among Black youth. In addition to her research, Lexi is an expert in health equity and wellness. In 2020, after seeing the ways COVID illuminated health disparities Black communities face she founded LRH Wellness—a virtual wellness center that used community-based programs and social media to help Black communities live a healthy life.
In 2021, Lexi left New Haven to begin medical school. After two years she realized her heart and passion remained in public health and community programs, not in medicine. Thus, she took a bold leap, dropped out of medical school, and dove into health equity and wellness work. Lexi spoke about her experience leaving medical school in her acclaimed Tedx talk “Because I am a Quitter”.
Lexi is a Fellow of The Dream In Me 2024 cohort, where she was given incredible mentorship from IDEAS Generation and GCI Health. Through this fellowship, Lexi was able to build the foundational components of Wellness ‘N Color. In 2024, Lexi was announced as PINK with Purpose Project Awardee. Out of hundreds of applicants she joined nine other changemakers in their efforts to make the world a better place for young people. This $25,000 grant funded Wellness ‘N Color’s founding and the first program Shades of Strength.
Outside of work and research, Lexi is an avid hobbist. She loves finding new activities to try. Lexi enjoys baking, spending time outdoors, running, playing pickleball, archery, hiking, pottery, and trying new crafts. She lives in Greenville, SC, with her fiancé and two dogs, Duck and Goose.
