Today we’d like to introduce you to Feylyn Lewis-Garrett.
Hi Feylyn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
A native of Nashville, Tennessee and a Vanderbilt University alumna, Dr. Lewis grew up as a youth caregiver for her disabled mother. Her experience with caregiving, disability, and living life on the margins led her on a path of global research and advocacy. She has a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a PhD in Social Work. Her research focuses on mental health and resiliency in youth and young adult caregivers, and she conducts research in the US, Europe, UK, and Australia. Dr. Lewis currently works as the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, where she is responsible for providing vision, leadership and strategic planning for student affairs programming that delivers holistic wellness formal support services, student life and community engagement.
Outside of work, she serves as co-chair of the Association of Junior Leagues International Every Woman. All Things. Caregiving Advocacy Initiative, and recent past Training Development Chair and Vice-President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in the Junior League of Nashville. She is the Vice-President of the board for the Tennessee Caregiver Coalition, and a board member for the NASPA Center for Women, Progress, Incorporated, Fashion is For Every Body, and the Brighton and Hove Carers Centre (United Kingdom). An engaged community advocate, Dr. Lewis has been appointed the Vice Chair of the Community Advocacy Panel for the Tennessee State Government Opioid Abatement Council and serves as the chair of the Meharry Center for Genome Research Community Advisory Board. Recently, she served as the past co-chair of the Congressionally appointed PCORI Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research Advisory Panel, and she sits on numerous other international advisory boards, including the National Advisory Council for the American Association of Caregiving Youth. In 2026, she became a member of the Metropolitan Nashville Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, supporting the health, education, and economic empowerment of Black women and girls. Her latest professional recognitions include the Outstanding Active Member of the Year award from the Junior League of Nashville, the Louise Barnes Outstanding Commitment to Caregivers Award from the Tennessee Caregivers Coalition, and the 2026 Impact Award for Staff from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She is an inaugural New America Story Fellow where she writes about the state of youth caregiving in the US. She currently resides in Nashville where she continues to provide care for her mother.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I conduct research and advocacy with children and teens who have caregiving responsibilities in their family (called “youth caregivers”) because of my lived experience with caregiving. My mother experienced a botched spinal surgery when I was age 11. My older brother Ferrell dropped out of college to come home to care for me and our mother. We grew up isolated, living in fear of my mother’s health, and without any formal support.
I knew that I wanted my life to honor my brother’s sacrifices. Because of him, I am able to do what I do. Because of him, millions of other children will grow up proud to be a youth caregiver and will have support so that they can thrive.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am most proud that my PhD dissertation remains to this day, the largest qualitative study of young adult caregivers in the US and the only US-UK comparative study on young adult caregivers. When other early career researchers come up to me at a conference, quoting my work, I am pleasantly surprised–and incredibly honored. I am deeply proud that I was able to take a catastrophic event (my mother’s botched surgery and health issues) into a benefit for others.
I am known for my combined advocacy and research—I called myself a “scholar-advocate” for youth caregivers. The ability to combine both angles of this important work makes me different than others. I also stand out because I am the only American youth caregiver who studied extensively in the United Kingdom (where the work originated in the late 1980s under my mentor, Professor Saul Becker). Because of this experience, I am a subject matter expert in the field of youth caregiving, combining critical scholarship with lived experience. When I speak, I can speak with authenticity.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I am forever grateful for my mentor Professor Saul Becker. Saul started the study of youth caregivers in England in the year that I was born!
He took me under his wing, so to speak, over a decade ago when I approached him with my PhD proposal. Saul has become more than a mentor, rather he is a sponsor–someone who mentions me and my work in spaces and places, fostering connections. Any work that I am able to accomplish in my career is his legacy.
My advice to anyone seeking a mentor is to be brave, do your research, and simply ask! It’s also helpful to have multiple mentors throughout your professional journey—as you grow, your needs change. Find mentors who are aligned with your grow path.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drfeylynlewis.com
- Instagram: @feylyn
- Facebook: @feylynlewisgarrett
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/feylynlewis
- Twitter: @drfeylynlewis
