Keith Meador

Keith Meador is Professor of Psychiatry and Health Policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Professor in the Graduate Department of Religion. He serves as Director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society and leads the Mental Health and Chaplaincy initiative through the VISN 6 MIRECC within the Department of Veterans Affairs. His work bridges clinical psychiatry, public health, theology, and ethics.

His research interests lie at the intersection of religion, health, and biomedical ethics. He explores how spiritual and socio-cultural factors influence mental health, illness, and human flourishing. His scholarship integrates empirical research with theological reflection, particularly in contexts of aging, moral injury, and PTSD among veterans. He is deeply involved in national efforts to integrate chaplaincy services into evidence-based mental health care in the VA and DoD.

Dr. Meador's work has led to significant programmatic impact, including a $2.7 million collaborative grant to train mental health chaplains across the VA and DoD. Through Learning Collaboratives at 14 sites, his leadership is shaping how chaplains and clinicians work together to improve access and quality of care for Service Members and Veterans.

He previously served as a tenured Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University, where he directed programs linking the School of Medicine and the Divinity School. He remains an Adjunct Professor at Duke. His educational background includes an MD from the University of Louisville, residency and fellowship at Duke, a ThM from Duke Divinity School, and an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

Dr. Meador is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vanderbilt University. He is board-certified in psychiatry and has co-authored influential works, including the book Heal Thyself: Spirituality, Medicine, and the Distortion of Christianity. His national leadership in mental health chaplaincy reflects a sustained commitment to interdisciplinary, values-driven care.