Heather M. Brandt, Ph.D., is the director of the HPV Cancer Prevention Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and co-associate director for outreach at the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center. She also serves as a full member of the cancer center in the Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control. She is a faculty affiliate at the University of Memphis School of Public Health and the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health. 

As a social and behavioral scientist, her research interests focus on addressing health disparities through innovative approaches in partnership with communities. Her research emphasizes the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based approaches, knowledge-based practice, and co-creating knowledge with stakeholders to improve outcomes through informed action on multiple levels. Most of her work has been done with churches, non-profit organizations, and healthcare settings, including in rural areas, to improve cancer prevention and control outcomes. 

She is the recipient of several awards, including the 2017 J. Marion Sims Award for contributions to public health (South Carolina Public Health Association), the 2016 Norman J. Arnold Alumni Medal (Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina), and the Friend of Children Award given by given by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is a member of the American Journal of Public Health Editorial Board, the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable, and additional national and local professional organizations. 

Heather joined St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in July 2020 after 16 years on faculty in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, and most recently as associate dean in the Graduate School and professor of health promotion, education, and behavior.