American Heart Association

HBCU Scholars Mentorship

The beating heart of the program

medical care worker consulting with woman

Volunteer mentors are the “heart” of our HBCU Scholars Program. We know that their influence goes far beyond the time they spend with our scholars and will shape and mold the next generation of African American biomedical science and health care professionals.

Want to become a volunteer mentor? Email Dr. Charlene Walton for more information.

Alabama
Birmingham
Ryan Cantor, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Kirklin Solutions, Inc. Andrea Gillis, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of General Surgery, Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine James K. Kirklin, MD, President, Kirklin Solutions, Inc., Former Professor, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine Devin Koehl, MS Data Science, Kirklin Solutions, Inc. Brandon Singletary, PhD, Statistician, Kirklin Solutions, Inc. Hong Zhao, PhD, Statistician, Kirklin Solutions, Inc. Larrell Wilkinson, PhD, Associate Professor, Community Health and Human Services, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Tuscaloosa
Lilanta Joy Bradley, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine and Population Health, The University of Alabama Shameka L. Cody, PhD, AGNP-C, PMHNP-BC, Associate Professor, Capstone College of Nursing, The University of Alabama Cassandra Ford, PhD, MSN, MBA, RN, FAHA, Associate Professor, Capstone College of Nursing, The University of Alabama Pamela Payne-Foster, MD, Professor, Community Medicine and Population Health, Deputy Director for Community Outreach, The University of Alabama Karen A. Johnson, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, The University of Alabama
Tuskegee
Miranda Reed, PhD, Professor, Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison College of Pharmacy and Co-Director, Center for Neuroscience Initiative, Auburn University Austin Robinson, PhD, MS, Associate Professor, School of Kinesiology, College of Education and Director, Neurovascular Physiology Laboratory, Auburn University Bruce F. Smith, VMD, PhD, Professor and Director, Auburn University Research Initiative in Cancer (AURIC), Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine

Florida
Tallahassee
Tyra Dark, PhD, MA, Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Center for Translational Behavioral Science, Florida State University Sylvie Naar, PhD, Distinguished and Endowed Professor, Department of Behavioral Science and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine and Director, Center for Translational Behavioral Research, Florida State University Meardith Pooler-Burgess, DrPH, Research Faculty, Center for Translational Behavioral Science, Florida State University College of Medicine

Georgia
Atlanta
Alvaro Alonso, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University Dayna A. Johnson, PhD, MPH, MSW, MS, Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University Robina Josiah Willock, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine Shivani Patel, PhD, Assistant Professor, Hubert Department of Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University Arshed Quyyumi, MD, FACC, FRCP, Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Director, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Emory University School of Medicine Tennille Leak-Johnson, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine Charles Searles, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Vice Chair, Research and Space Management; Director, Cardiology Fellowship, Emory University School of Medicine

Louisiana
Baton Rouge
Greggory Davis, PhD, Emergency Medicine - Gratis Faculty (Clinical Assistant Professor), OLOL Office of Research - Research Scientist, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Miranda Mitchell, MD, FACP, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Internal Medicine Residency (Baton Rouge) and Director, Office of Diversity and Community Engagement (Baton Rouge Branch Campus) Robert Newton, Jr., PhD, Associate Professor, Physical Activity and Ethnic Minority Health, Pennington Biotechnology Research Center, Louisiana State University
New Orleans
Lydia Bazzano, MD, PhD, MPH, Lynda B and H. Leighton Stewart Professor of Epidemiology, Director of the Center for Lifespan Epidemiology, Medical Director of the Bogalusa Heart Study, Tulane University School of Public Health Elizabeth Engler-Chiurazzi, PhD, Assistant Professor, Director of Community Outreach and Engagement, IF/THEN Ambassador, Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University Prasad V.G. Katakam, MD, PhD, FCVS, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine Kevin Zwezdaryk, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine

Mississippi
Jackson
Clifton Addison, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Senior Research Scientist, Jackson Heart Study Graduate Training and Education Center, Jackson State University School of Public Health Lorena Amaral, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology/Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center Marinelle Payton, MD, PhD, MS, MPH, Chair and Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Director, Center of Excellence in Minority Health and Disparities, Director, Jackson Heart Study Graduate Training and Education Center, Jackson State University School of Public Health Junie Paula Warrington, PhD, FAHA, FANA, Associate Professor, Department of Neurology and Associate Director, Program in Neuroscience, Translational Research Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center

North Carolina
Durham
Li Qian, PhD, Professor of Pathology, Associate Director of the McAllister Heart Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine Svati H. Shah, MD, Professor of Medicine and Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine
Greensboro
Jaclyn P. Maher, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro Jennifer Etnier, PhD, Julia Taylor Morton Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Winston-Salem
Tina Brinkley, Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Internal Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine Justin B. Moore, PhD, MS, Associate Professor, Departments of Implementation Science, Epidemiology and Prevention, and Family and Community Medicine, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine Joseph A. Skelton, MD, MS, FAAP, FTOS, Professor, Vice Chair of Research, Department of Pediatrics and Director of Program in Community Engaged Research Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Director of Brenner FIT® (Families In Training), Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Ohio
Dayton
Eric S. Bennett, PhD, Professor and Chair of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Interim Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Wright State University Sherif M. Elbasiouny, PhD, PE, Brage Golding Distinguished Professor of Research, Director of Neuroengineering Education and Research, Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biomedical, Industrial, & Human Factors Engineering, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine Hongmei Ren, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Wright State University Jananie Rockwood, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Kidney PathoPhysiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Physiology, Wright State University Clintoria Williams, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Physiology and Director, Small Animal Physiology (SAP) Core, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine

South Carolina
Columbia
Ciaran Fairman, PhD, CSCS, CET, Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Science and Director, Exercise Oncology Laboratory, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina Gayenell S. Magwood, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN, Professor and Myrtle Irene Brown Endowed Professor of Nursing, Department of Biobehavioral Health and Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina

Tennessee
Memphis
Samuel Dagogo-Jack, MD, DSc, A.C. Mullins Endowed Professor & Chief, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism; Director, General Clinical Research Center; Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center Jonathan Jaggar, PhD, Maury Bronstein Endowed Professor, College of Medicine (Memphis), Department of Physiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center John Jefferies, MD, MPH, Professor, Pediatric Cardiology, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital; Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, Research Member, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Governor, Tennessee Chapter of the American College of Cardiology Salvatore Mancarella, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center Kaushik Parthasarathi, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Nashville
Joey Barnett, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology Emeritus, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Antentor O. Hinton, Jr., PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center Carla Gardner-Jones, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Tennessee State University Evangeline Motley-Johnson, PhD, Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Physiology, Meharry Medical College

HBCU Scholars Mentorship

Current HBCU Scholars

HBCU Scholars Program Alumni