Dr. Versha Pleasant is an OB/GYN passionate about reversing breast cancer-related health disparities through genetics, precision medicine, and health justice.
Dr. Pleasant is a board-certified OB/GYN physician trained in clinical genetics, specializing in the care of those at increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer due to gene mutations or family history.
She also provides specialized gynecologic care to breast cancer survivors. In addition to medical consultation and counseling, she performs risk-reducing surgeries for those at increased risk for ovarian cancer and procedures for those having gynecologic side effects from breast cancer treatments.
She is particularly interested in breast cancer outcomes and genetic testing barriers facing Black women. Dr. Pleasant is an implementation scientist that conducts research exploring the impact of universal breast cancer risk assessment as a way to address racial health disparities.
She is also founder of the Redefining the Crown Project, aimed at exploring the experiences of Black women who have undergone hair loss related to chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer.
Dr. Pleasant received an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in French and a master of public health degree from Yale University. She worked for several years for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Rwanda and Côte d’Ivoire.
