Steering Committee
MHRC Directors
Mona N. Fouad, MD, MPH
Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion
Director and Professor, Division of Preventive Medicine
Edward E. Partridge, M.D., Endowed Chair for Cancer Disparity Research
Director, Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center
University of Alabama at Birmingham
James O. Hill, PhD
Co-Director, UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center
Professor and Chair of Nutrition
Director of Nutrition Obesity Research Center
School of Health Professions
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Committee Members
Wendy Demark Wahnefried, PhD, RD
Co-Leader, Research Program
Associate Director, Cancer Prevention and Control
O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor and Endowed Chair, Nutrition Sciences
School of Health Professions
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Olivia Affuso, PhD
Co-Leader, Research Program
Associate Professor, Epidemiology
School of Public Health
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Monica L. Baskin, PhD
Co-Leader, Community Engagement Program
Professor of Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Michael Mugavero, MD, MHSc
Co-Leader, Training Program
Professor, Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine
Professor, Health Behavior, School of Public Health
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Elizabeth Baker, PhD
Co-Leader, Social Determinants of Health Core
Associate Professor, Sociology
College of Arts & Sciences
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Gabriela Oates, PhD
Co-Leader, Social Determinants of Health Core
Assistant Professor, Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Pediatrics
Associate Scientist, Cystic Fibrosis Research Center
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Cynthia Y. Johnson
Co-Leader, Recruitment and Retention Core
Co-Leader, HealthSmart Employee Wellness
Director, Recruitment and Retention Shared Facility
Division of Preventive Medicine
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Julie Schach
Co-Leader, Recruitment and Retention Core
Co-Director, Recruitment and Retention Shared Facility
Division of Preventive Medicine
University of Alabama at Birmingham
MHRC Management Team
Mona N. Fouad, MD, MPH
Director, UAB Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center
Research Program
William Anderson, PhD
Director of Research
Training Program
Ann S. Smith, MPH
Director of Training
Dawn K. Fizer, MSHA
Program Manager, Training
Emily K. Hudson
Program Coordinator, Training
Community Engagement
Tiffany Osborne
Director, Community Engagement
Kimberly M. Speights, M.A.
Manager, Community Engagement, Live HealthSmart Alabama
Grace Okoro, MPH
Program Manager II, Community Engagement
Erin Carley, LMSW
Educational Liaison, Community Engagement
Travae’ Hardaway-Griffith, BSW, MA
Education Liaison, Community Engagement
Ambiir S. Gray, MPH
Program Administrator II, Community Engagement
Kimberly Braden, MPPM
Program Administrator II, Community Engagement
Communications
Susan J. Driggers
Director, Communications
Jessica Snyder Rhinehart
Program Manager, Communications
Anne L. Heaney
Specialist, Communications
Advancement and Fundraising
Christian N. Smith
Director of Development, UAB Heersink School of Medicine