Mehta named first UAB Heersink Endowed Professor in Primary Care

Tapan MehtaIrfan Asif, M.D., Marnix E. Heersink, M.D., Tapan Mehta, Ph.D., and Anupam Agarwal, M.D., Ph.D., professor and vice chair of Research and Improvement Science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Family and Community Medicine, has been announced as the inaugural Heersink Endowed Professor in Primary Care. 

Mehta joined the Department of Family and Community Medicine in 2022 as the department’s first vice chair of Research. In less than four years, he has built the department’s research enterprise from the ground up, leading its growth into a nationally recognized program. 

Under Mehta’s leadership, the department has expanded strategic partnerships, secured major research funding, and advanced innovative models of primary care aimed at preventing and managing chronic disease. By integrating patient-centered and community-engaged research within clinical practice, the department is redefining how primary care can improve access, support vitality and build healthier communities across Alabama. 

Mehta currently serves as the principal investigator for the country’s first center specializing in rapid telehealth policy research — Telehealth Outreach and Policy for Rural and Underserved Populations Rapid Response Center, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. He co-leads the Health Advancement through Access and Research in Transformative Networks Primary Care Research Network and the UAB Disability Health Promotion Research Center. Mehta is director of the Building and InnovatinG: Digital HeAlth Technology and Analytics Center’s Methods and Health Informatics Core and the National Center on Health Physical Activity and Disability’s Data Coordinating Center. He also serves as the co-director of the University-wide Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education. In addition, he leads multiple large pragmatic and optimization trials funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to develop optimized primary-care based chronic disease management programs.

Mehta began his research career as a graduate research assistant at UAB more than 20 years ago. His background includes degrees in engineering and biostatistics, and his interdisciplinary academic work informs his research as he seeks to build systems and utilize data to improve outcomes through clinical and health services projects designed to optimize scalable primary care-based chronic disease management programs for communities in Alabama and beyond. 

Mehta is a recognized leader and mentor across the institution. Since joining UAB in 2005, he has served in several leadership roles, including chair of the Faculty Senate and chair of the Faculty Senate Research Committee. He has worked collaboratively with the Office of Research and central administration to support research, education and employee well-being initiatives. In recognition of his exceptional contributions as a mentor and inspiring educator, Mehta was honored with the 2025 UAB Graduate Dean’s Excellence in Mentorship award. 

“Tapan’s leadership, innovation and commitment to improving both health outcomes and provider experiences across our state represent an incredible belief in what our department can accomplish,” said Irfan Asif, M.D., chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. “He is helping define the future of primary care research and demonstrating how data-driven innovation can impact public health.” 

As the first recipient of the Heersink Endowed Professorship in Primary Care, Mehta is recognized for work that is shaping healthcare delivery and improving community health throughout Alabama and beyond.