Clinical Research Coordinator III

Dr. Vantrice Heard of Alexander City, AL is a qualitative researcher who brings a multidisciplinary educational background. She has a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration, Master’s in Business Administration, Master of Philosophy in Human and Social Sciences and a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Services. She was also awarded a Certificate in Advanced Research Studies from Walden University.

She started her research career by serving as Research Associate/ Content Writer for the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine. She later joined the National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care (the National Bioethics Center) at Tuskegee University, to serve as the Health Services Liaison and Research Core Coordinator. She also served as grant administrator for the National Bioethics Center. Dr. Heard served on the planning committee for The Annual Commemoration of the Presidential Apology for the United States Public Health Service Syphilis Study and Public Health Ethics Intensive Course for nine years. Her Palliative Care research interest began in 2019, as she served as the Blinded Study Research Coordinator for the NIH project entitled, Community Tele-pal. Dr. Heard’s experiences with this study prompted her desire to further her research career in Palliative Care Research.

Dr. Heard’s other research interests include public health ethics, social justice initiatives, human/social sciences and community based participatory research. Her personal research, An African American Father’s Perspective of Culturally Based Discipline, a generic qualitative study centered around African American Studies and the need to circumvent culturally based discipline (violence) as it contributes to excess deaths of African American men to subcultural crimes (i.e., Black on Black homicide).

In her community, she is most passionate about her work with children, where she serves as a member of Alexander City Education Foundation’s board of directors. In her free time, she enjoys singing and spending time with family. Dr. Heard is a mother to three daughters, Jasmyn, twins Savannah and Sydni, and one son, Austin. She is also a proud grandmother to six grandchildren, Ily, Tyler, twins Ava and Prince, Daniella, and Taiah.