Dr. Hernandez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Executive Director of the Center for Maternal Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM). She received her Master of Public Health from Emory University and her Ph.D. in public health from the University of South Florida. Dr. Hernandez’s more than 17 years of research experiences and contributions to science have been dedicated to rigorous methodology using community engagement approaches to advance health equity through research and practice. Her research focuses on advancing science toward the elimination of women’s health inequities taking a multi-sectoral and multi-level translational research approach. Additionally, her research explores the integration of technology to advance women’s health and provides easy access to women’s health care. Dr. Hernandez is an R01 NIH funded researcher who has obtained diverse extramural funding to develop multiple lines of research. Most recently, she is the Principal Investigator of the inaugural NIH Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence focused on Black Maternal Behavioral Health. She is the founding Director of the MSM Center for Maternal Health Equity and has laid the groundwork for research in maternal health by establishing partnerships with local and national organizations dedicated to maternal morbidity and mortality disparities, evaluating maternal health interventions and programs, and validating effective measures of maternal mental health, medical mistrust, and psychosocial factors. She has received numerous awards for her research and dedication to community and sits on local and national maternal health organizations including but not limited to Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee and Georgia PRAMS Steering Committee. Dr. Hernandez has presented her work at various international, national, state and local conferences.