Natalie Hernandez, PhD, MPH, is an associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and executive director of the Center for Maternal Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM). Dr. Hernandez received her master of public health degree from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and her bachelor of arts degree in anthropology from Stony Brook University in New York. She earned her doctoral degree in public health as well as a graduate certificate in interdisciplinary women’s health from the University of South Florida. Dr. Hernandez was a Health Resources and Services Administration maternal and child health leadership trainee and epidemiology trainee. She was also a Satcher Health Leadership Institute health policy postdoctoral scholar at MSM.
Dr. Hernandez’s previous research experiences and contributions to science have been dedicated to rigorous methodology using community engagement approaches to advance health equity through research and practice. She has more than 17 years of experience in implementing population health that engages diverse stakeholder groups. She also has expertise in conducting robust qualitative research using a broad array of research methods.
Dr. Hernandez is an R01 National Institutes of Health-funded researcher who has obtained diverse extramural funding to develop multiple lines of research to advance science toward the elimination of women’s health inequities, specifically within Black and Latinx populations. The research approach in these locally and nationally funded initiatives encompassed utilization of community-based participatory research frameworks and took a multisectoral and multilevel translational research approach. Additionally, her research explores the integration of technology to advance women’s health and provide easy access to maternal and women’s healthcare through patient navigation, mobile health interventions, virtual visits, and remote monitoring. Dr. Hernandez is the founding director of the MSM Center for Maternal Health Equity. Dr. Hernandez has laid the groundwork for research in maternal health by establishing partnerships with local and national organizations dedicated to maternal morbidity and mortality disparities, evaluating maternal health interventions and programs, and validating effective measures of maternal mental health, medical mistrust, and psychosocial factors.
Prior to her doctoral studies, Dr. Hernandez worked as a program manager for UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza), leading all their national maternal health projects. With these projects, she has established strong ties with diverse stakeholders. As a result of her work, she has received a number of honors, including the Mundo Hispánico Latinas Poderosas Atlanta (Powerful Latinas in Atlanta) Award, the American Association for Cancer Research’s Minorities in Cancer Research (MICR) Council Minority and Minority-Serving Institution Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research Award, rising scholar in the field of sexuality by the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, Rolling Out Sista with Superpowers, Health Disparities Scholar of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Loan Repayment Program, the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance Team Science Award of Distinction for Early Stage Research Teams, and the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia 2021 Carolyn Wetzel Continuum Award.
Dr. Hernandez currently sits on Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee, Georgia PRAMS Steering Committee and Georgia Improving Postpartum Care Affinity Group, as well as on various maternal and child health organizations, including Postpartum Support International-Georgia Chapter Advocacy Group and Georgia Maternal Health Stakeholder Group. She also sits on national organizations, including the American Public Health Association Committee on Health Equity, Health Disparities Taskforce of the National Preeclampsia Foundation, and many others. Dr. Hernandez has presented her work at various international, national, state, and local conferences.