Leadership

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The Jackson Heart Study is led by project officers and Center Leaders who provide scientific leadership, operational guidance, community engagement, and subject-area expertise across JHS centers and research activities.


Project Officers

Sharon Smith, Ph.D.
Program Director

Sharon Smith, Ph.D.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892

Melissa Garcia, MPH
Program Director

Melissa Garcia, MPH

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892

Center Leaders

April P. Carson, PhD
Center Leader

April P. Carson, PhD

Director, Jackson Heart Study
Field Center Principal Investigator
Professor, Department of Medicine
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson, MS 39216

Stacee B. Naylor, PhD, RN, MSN, CCRP
Center Leader

Stacee B. Naylor, PhD, RN, MSN, CCRP

Deputy Director, Jackson Heart Study Field Center Research Operations
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson, MS 39216

D. Leann Long, PhD
Center Leader

D. Leann Long, PhD

Principal Investigator, Coordinating Center
Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics and Data Science
Division of Public Health Sciences
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Clemontina Davenport
Center Leader

Clemontina Davenport, PhD

Deputy Director, Coordinating Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Biostatistics and Data Science
Division of Public Health Sciences
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Wendy White, MPH, PhD
Center Leader

Wendy White, MPH, PhD

Multiple Principal Investigator, Undergraduate Training and Education Center
Tougaloo College
Jackson, MS 39174

Kisa Harris, MPH, PhD
Center Leader

Kisa Harris, MPH, PhD

Multiple Principal Investigator, Undergraduate Training and Education Center
Tougaloo College
Jackson, MS 39174

Marinelle Payton, MD, PhD, MS, MPH
Center Leader

Marinelle Payton, MD, PhD, MS, MPH

Multiple Principal Investigator, Graduate Training and Education Center
Professor and Chair
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
School of Public Health
Jackson State University
Jackson, MS 39213

Alain Bertoni, MD, MPH
Center Leader

Alain Bertoni, MD, MPH

Multiple Principal Investigator, Graduate Training and Education Center
Professor, Public Health Sciences
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Jennifer Lemacks, PhD, RD, LD
Center Leader

Jennifer Lemacks, PhD, RD, LD

Multiple Principal Investigator, Graduate Training and Education Center
Associate Dean for Research
College of Nursing and Health Professions
Professor, School of Health Professions
University of Southern Mississippi

Felix Twum, DrPH
Center Leader

Felix Twum, DrPH

Multiple Principal Investigator, Graduate Training and Education Center
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
University of Southern Mississippi

James L. Coleman, Jr., Ed.D.
Center Leader

James L. Coleman, Jr., Ed.D.

Multiple Principal Investigator, Community Engagement Center
Chief Executive Officer
G.A. Carmichael Family Health Center
Canton, MS 39046

Victor Sutton, PhD
Center Leader

Victor Sutton, PhD

Multiple Principal Investigator, Community Engagement Center
G.A. Carmichael Family Health Center
Canton, MS 39046