Cheryl R. Dennison Himmelfarb

Dr. Cheryl R. Dennison Himmelfarb is a Professor and Vice Dean for Research at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, holding the Sarah E. Allison Endowed Professorship for Research and Self-Care. She leads initiatives for community engagement and participant recruitment as Deputy Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical & Translational Research (Hopkins CTSA). Her work focuses on cardiovascular health equity, telehealth interventions, and reducing disparities through digital and grassroots strategies.

• B.S., Texas Woman's University (1991)
• M.S.N., Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (1996)
• Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (2001)

Dr. Himmelfarb’s research spans cardiovascular risk, chronic illness management, and patient safety, with a focus on diverse populations and mHealth innovations. She pioneered the MyChart Recruitment Service and leads the NIH-funded CEAL consortium and LINKED-BP program, integrating community health workers and telemonitoring for hypertension control.

Her publications highlight advancements in cardiometabolic health, virtual coaching, and social determinants of hypertension. Recent studies address gender differences in heart failure, geographic disparities in hypertension prevalence, and technology-driven recruitment in clinical trials.

• 2023 AHA Kathleen Dracup Lectureship
• 2023 Faye Glenn Abdellah Leadership Award
• 2018 Sarah E. Allison Endowed Professor
• 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International Hall of Fame
• NIH, AHA, and NHLBI grants

As a mentor, she develops community-engaged researchers through programs like the Recruitment Innovation Unit. She co-leads the IMPACT and CONNECT initiatives to enhance diversity in cardiovascular trials and has published extensively on health disparities and team-based care in Africa and the U.S.