معرفی
Dr. Heather Taylor is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Indiana University Fort Wayne, within the School of Public Health. She holds a PhD in Health Policy and Management from the Fairbanks School of Public Health and an MPH and RDH (Registered Dental Hygienist). Her career spans clinical practice as a dental hygienist, teaching at the Indiana University School of Dentistry, and community outreach through programs like SEAL Indiana, which provides preventive dental care to underserved children. Currently, her research focuses on oral health disparities, mental health, and the oral-systemic relationship, with a particular interest in improving access to dental care for low-income populations.
Dr. Taylor’s educational background includes a PhD and MPH from Indiana University, complemented by a dental hygiene license and teaching experience in dental radiology. She has held a National Library of Medicine Fellowship in Population and Public Health Informatics (2017–2021). Her research portfolio includes over 14 peer-reviewed publications, addressing topics such as healthcare costs, social determinants of health, and the economic burden of untreated mental illness in Indiana.
Her courses include PBHL-H325: Health Information Technology Management and Policy. She collaborates on projects exploring dental informatics, such as health information exchange during dental visits and the role of natural language processing in social work interventions. Her work bridges clinical practice, public health policy, and health informatics to address systemic inequities in healthcare access.
- Awards: National Library of Medicine Fellow (2017–2021)
- Grants/Projects: Ongoing work on economic burdens of mental illness in Indiana
Her affiliations include Indiana University Fort Wayne and collaborations with state public health initiatives. She contributes to community outreach and policy advocacy for oral health equity.
