Renee Heffron

Renee Heffron is a Professor in the Department of Medicine - Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine. She serves as Director of the UAB Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) and holds concurrent senior scientist appointments at CFAR, the Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education (COERE), and the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on biomedical HIV prevention, particularly pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) optimization and novel product development, with collaborations in Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa.

• Ph.D. in Epidemiology, University of Washington (2012)
• Master of Public Health, Tulane University (2004)

As an applied epidemiologist and HIV prevention researcher, Heffron integrates implementation science, clinical trials, behavioral science, and qualitative research. Her work emphasizes community-based PrEP delivery models, substance use interventions, and health equity for marginalized populations, including sexual and gender minority youth in Brazil and Black women in the Deep South. Current projects include dynamic community-engaged HIV testing strategies in Alabama and peer-led PrEP delivery trials.

Heffron has secured multiple NIH-funded grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and National Institute on Drug Abuse. Key projects include:

• Determining Impact of Peer-Led Community-Based PrEP Delivery in Brazil (NIMH, 2023)
• UAB CFAR Administrative Core (NIAID, 2022)
• Project E-WORTH South for substance-using Black women in community corrections (NIAID, 2022)
• Implementation Science Research on PrEP Delivery for People Who Use Drugs (NIDA, 2022)

She actively mentors doctoral trainees and early-career investigators at UAB and African institutions, serving on thesis committees and providing implementation science training.