Gail Wyatt, distinguished professor emeritus of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, has received the 2025 Humanitarian Award from the Association of Black Women Physicians. She was honored for her career-long contributions to addressing women’s health disparities, trauma, and domestic violence prevention.
Dr. Wyatt is known for being the first person of color to become a licensed psychologist in the state of California, the first Black woman to be named full professor at UCLA’s medical school, and the first person of color to receive training as a sexologist. During her tenure at UCLA, she founded and directed the Center for Culture, Trauma, and Mental Health Disparities and Sexual Health Programs.
Over the past five decades, Dr. Gail has conducted extensive research on the sexual experiences of African American women. Her work has chronicled the prevalence of sexual abuse among both African American men and women, resulting in a greater understanding of the impact of domestic violence and trauma. She has also developed groundbreaking interventions for HIV-positive women and African American couples. On several occasions throughout her career, Dr. Wyatt testified before the U.S. Congress on women’s health and policy issues, including the Violence Against Women Act hearings. Her research has resulted in over 300 peer-reviewed articles and six books, including Stolen Women: Reclaiming Our Sexuality, Taking Back Our Lives (Trade Paper Press, 1998).
A graduate of historically Black Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. Wyatt earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
