Speaker's Profile

Dr. Heckman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Division of Public Health and the Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Social Determinants of Health (CSSDoH) at Meharry Medical College. Meharry is a global academic health sciences center advancing health equity through innovative research, transformative education, exceptional and compassionate health services, and policy-influencing thought leadership. As the Founding Director of Meharry’s Center for the Study of Social Determinants of Health (CSSDoH), Dr. Heckman leads transdisciplinary teams conducting innovative research on social conditions that affect the health and livelihood of underserved communities with a primary focus among racial and ethnic minorities. Key areas of research are leading causes of preventable deaths: tobacco and nicotine, substance use (opioids/alcohol), and COVID-19; and treatment adherence for chronic medical conditions: HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, kidney, cardiovascular and mental health, and social justice. Across health domains, CSSDoH aims to streamline the ideation, development, evaluation, dissemination, implementation, and accessibility of digital tools to provide high impact, low-burden, and sustainable interventions to enhance care for underserved communities.  Dr. Heckman is also the Founding Director of Meharry’s equity-driven business incubator and training program, ResilienSeed. The incubator empowers traditionally-overlooked entrepreneurs by partnering with them and leveraging a vast network of subject matter experts, investors, and grant writers.