Our commitment to translating science into better health for all is possible because of our dedicated team members, and the expertise and guidance provided by our Community Advisory Board, External Advisory Board, and Academic Advisory Council. These boards and councils play crucial roles in ensuring our research is responsive to community needs and aligned with the academic rigor of a UAB University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Center.
By engaging these diverse perspectives, we develop quality programs and initiatives that impact our city, state, region, and nation. To see group members, select one of the groups below.
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Academic Council
Dr. Karen Benn-Marshall
Campus Coordinator
Oakwood UniversityDr. Leatha Bennett
Campus Coordinator
Alabama A&M UniversityDr. Teresa Orok
Professor and Executive Director for Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development
Alabama A&M UniversityDr. Richard Whittington
Campus Coordinator
Tuskegee UniversityCatrina Waters
Campus Coordinator
Alabama State UniversityDr. Manoj Mishra
AAC Member, Director, Cancer Biology Research and Training Program
Alabama State UniversityDr. Lorrabelle Hill
Campus Coordinator
Stillman CollegeDr. Mark McCormick
AAC Member, Provost and VP Academic Affairse Center for Biomedical Research at Minority Institutions
Stillman CollegeDr. Andrew Young
Assoc. Professor of Health & Human Sciences
Oakwood University -
Community Advisory Board
Hearing the voices of our neighbors
We believe that community leaders are important partners in identifying health issues and concerns in their neighborhoods. These advocates understand the culture of their community and they take pride in its growth and well-being. The MHERC’s Community Advisory Board includes volunteers, leaders, and stakeholders from all spheres of social life—business, health and social services, government, communication, education, safety and transportation, and environment—and all levels of representation, from neighborhood to city, county, and state.
These community leaders are the link between the community and the MHERC, providing leadership and advice on the health needs of their communities. They also serve as liaisons with community organizations and public and private entities to leverage resources in order to improve the health of minorities and the underserved across Alabama.
Member Organization Anthony C. Hood, PhD University of Alabama at Birmingham Collat School of Business Andria Hurst Retired Educator Anthony Barnes Synovus Mortgage Charles Ball Regional Plann Commission Danielle Larkin, DNP, APRN, CHPN, CHPPN Assistant Clinical Professor, Auburn University College of Nursing Dr. Mark Wilson Jefferson County Department of Health Dr. Nadia Richardson No More Martyrs Whitney Covington, MPH, MLS Young Professionals Board, UAB Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center Dr. Sharon Bell Retired Educator Gladys McGhee Retired Educator Gwendolyn Ekundayo Director of Adult Education, Lawson State Community College Hon. Andra Sparks Birmingham Municpal Court Joanice Thompson Alabama Communities Together, Birmingham Resident Joaniteka Whitlow-Nixon JDM Consulting Judge Elisabeth French Presiding Judge, Circuit Judge Jefferson County Kerri Pruitt The Dannon Project Michael Battle VIVA Health Dontrell Foster Housing Authority of the Birmingham District Min. Geraldine Moore National Baptist Convention, USA Inc. and H.O.P.E. Ministry Yolanda Clayton 7th District of Alabama, U.S. Representative Terri Sewell Nichelle Nix Governer's Office of Minority Affairs Rev. Susan Clayton Independence Presbyterian Church Edwina Taylor Founder and Director, Cahaba Valley Healthcare Shonae Eddins-Bennett Director, City of Birmingham Parks & Recreation -
External Advisory Board
Guadalupe (Suchi) Xochitl Ayala, PhD, MPH
Professor, Division of Health Promotion and Behavior Sciences
Graduate School of Public Health
Co-Director, San Diego Prevention Research Center
San Diego State UniversityLinda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH, FACE
Dean’s Professor, Department of Epidemiology
University of Florida College of Medicine & College of Public Health and Health Professions Associate Dean for Research, College of Public Health and Health ProfessionsVerna M. Keith, PhD
Chair and Professor, Department of Sociology
University of Alabama at BirminghamCatarina I. Kiefe, MD, PhD
Inaugural Melvin S. and Sandra L. Cutler Chair in Biomedical Research
Chair, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences
Professor of Quantitative Health Sciences and Medicine
University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolJohn Ruffin, PhD
Founding Director, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities President and CEO. ConsulStart Inc.
