Applying a Health Equity Lens to Cardiovascular Epidemiology

Dr. April P. Carson is the Director of the Jackson Heart Study and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Carson’s research focuses broadly on the epidemiology of diabetes and its cardiovascular complications. She has extensive experience with several large observational cohort studies and has investigated a range of social, clinical, and lifestyle factors that contribute to disparities in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A Georgia native, Dr. Carson completed her B.S. in Microbiology at the University of Georgia and her M.S.P.H. and Ph.D. in Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before joining the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Fall 2021, Dr. Carson was an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In addition to her leadership role with the Jackson Heart Study, Dr. Carson maintains an active research portfolio funded by the National Institutes of Health and is an active professional member in the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association.