Mary Ellen Michele Heisler

Michele Heisler is a Professor at the University of Michigan with joint appointments in the Medical School and School of Public Health. She holds affiliations with the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Donia Human Rights Center, focusing on health equity for marginalized populations through clinical practice and interdisciplinary research.

Her educational background includes:

• Medical Degree (MD) from Harvard Medical School (1997)
• Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System (2000)
• Fellowship in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System (2002)

Dr. Heisler's research centers on chronic disease management, particularly diabetes and glaucoma, with emphasis on patient self-management, health disparities, and social determinants like food insecurity. She investigates patient-doctor communication dynamics and human rights intersections in healthcare, employing community-engaged methodologies to develop culturally tailored interventions for underserved communities including Latino and immigrant populations.

Her 2022-2025 publications reveal consistent thematic focus on diabetes-glaucoma comorbidity management, structural barriers to care, and policy impacts on migrant health. Key methodological approaches include mixed-methods designs, community health worker collaborations, and behavioral economics frameworks, with strong emphasis on neighborhood-level social risk factors and financial toxicity in chronic disease outcomes.

No specific scientific awards were documented in available sources.

As a professor, Dr. Heisler mentors medical and public health trainees through clinical supervision and research collaboration, though specific advisees aren't listed. Her work is supported by federal and foundation grants targeting health disparities, with recent funding likely directed toward telemedicine interventions and migrant health initiatives.

She leads the Support, Educate, Empower (SEE) glaucoma coaching program and INSPIRA diabetes prevention initiative through interdisciplinary teams at the International Institute. Current projects involve Federally Qualified Health Centers, integrating peer support networks and human rights frameworks to address barriers in eye care and diabetes management for linguistically diverse populations.