Page 5 - MSM Campaign Council Webinar - June 2021

Natalie D. Hernandez, PhD, MPH ditionally, her research explores the integration of technology to advance women’s
health and provides easy access to maternal and women’s through patient naviga-
Dr. Hernandez is an Assistant Professor in the tion, mobile health interventions, telehealth approaches, and remote monitoring.
Department of Community Health and Preventive Dr. Hernandez has laid the groundwork for research in maternal health by estab-
Medicine and the Interim Director of the Center lishing partnerships with local and national organizations dedicated to maternal
for Maternal Health Equity at Morehouse School morbidity and mortality disparities, evaluating maternal health interventions and
of Medicine. Dr. Hernandez received her Master programs, and validating effective measures of maternal mental health, medical
of Public Health from Emory University’s Rollins mistrust, as well as psychosocial factors relevant to maternal health inequities. Dr.
School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Hernandez received an NIH Diversity Supplement (ULTR002378-02S3) to identify
anthropology from Stony Brook University in New and improve our understanding of the facilitators and barriers to cervical cancer
York. She earned her PhD in public health as well as prevention, and participation in cancer clinical research among rural Mexican
a graduate certificate in interdisciplinary women’s immigrant Georgia Latinas.
health from the University of South Florida.
Prior to her doctoral studies, Dr. Hernandez worked as a Program Manager for
Dr. Hernandez’s previous research experiences and UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza) leading all their national mater-
contributions to science have been dedicated to rig- nal health projects. With these projects she has established strong ties with diverse
orous methodology using community engagement approaches to advance health stakeholders and as a result of her work, she has received a number of awards
equity through research and practice. Dr. Hernandez has a broad background including the MundoHispanico Latinas Poderosas (Powerful Latinas in Atlanta)
in community-based participatory research (CBPR), women’s health inequities, Award, American Association for Cancer Research-Minorities in Cancer Research
health policy, and social determinants of health. She has more than 15 years of (MICR) Council, Minority & Minority Serving Institution Faculty Scholar in Can-
experience in developing community partnerships and implementing CBPR that cer Research Award, Rising Scholar in the field of sexuality by The Society for the
engages diverse stakeholder groups including health care providers, patient pop- Scientific Study of Sexuality, Rolling Out Sista with Superpowers, Health Dispari-
ulations, organizational leaders, and policymakers.. She also has expertise in con- ties Scholar of the NIH National Institutes on Minority Health and Health Dispar-
ducting robust qualitative research using a broad array of research methods. Dr. ities Loan Repayment Program and the Georgia Clinical & Translational Science
Hernandez was a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) maternal Alliance Team Science Award of Distinction for Early Stage Research Teams.
and child health leadership trainee and epidemiology trainee.
Dr. Hernandez currently sits on Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee,
To advance science toward the elimination of women’s health inequities, Dr. Georgia PRAMS Steering Committee, and on various maternal and child health
Hernandez has obtained extramural funding to develop multiple lines of research organizations including Postpartum Support International-Georgia Chapter Ad-
in the context of maternal and women’s health, specifically with Black and Latina vocacy Group and Georgia Maternal Health Stakeholder Group. She also sits on
populations. The research approach in these local and nationally funded initiatives national organizations including the American Public Health Association Com-
encompassed utilization of CBPR approaches, multilevel models and theories, and mittee on Health Equity, Health Disparities Taskforce of the National Preeclampsia
takes a multi-sectoral and multi-level translational, health disparities research Foundation, and many others. Dr. Hernandez has presented her work at various
approach to understanding the myriad causes of women’s health inequities. Ad- international, national, state, and local conferences.