Tremaine Sails-Dunbar

Tremaine Sails-Dunbar earned a Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Theology from American Baptist College and a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt University. He is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior at the University of South Carolina. Studying how social services, homelessness, mental illness, and incarceration coalesce in the lives of unhoused Black men, Tremaine utilizes his own experience as an individual living with schizoaffective disorder to uncover how mental health and carceral systems entrench individuals in cycles of instability. 

As a researcher, minister, and social justice advocate, Tremaine has secured numerous awards and fellowships that have amplified his voice and impact. As a Health Policy Research Scholar with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, he is committed to improving responses to individuals facing housing instability and adverse mental health outcomes. He has presented his research at national and international conferences, including Oxford University, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the American Public Health Association. He encourages the use of empathy, storytelling, and systemic change to inform policy and ensure that the most vulnerable in our society have the opportunity to thrive.