Heather Richter

Heather Richter is the Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Biomedical Research Consortium, Co-Director of the Joint Institute for Advanced Computing on Environmental Studies at Old Dominion University and the Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, and a Research Associate Professor in the Joint School of Public Health at Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University.

Prior to her current roles, Dr. Richter held faculty positions at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, West Virginia University, and The University of Oklahoma. Her experience extends to the private and nonprofit sectors, including consulting, venture capital, management, and health advocacy.

Dr. Richter is an environmental health scientist whose career is focused on bringing together cutting-edge data science (such as machine learning working with large, multimodal data sets) with community-led research that emphasizes qualitative, ethnographic approaches. She engages community members in setting research priorities as well as interpreting study findings to develop successful interventions.

Through the HRBRC, Dr. Richter is building a collaborative regional research ecosytem in southeastern Virginia – this effort is possible via strategic partnerships among universities, industry, government agencies, community stakeholders, and foundations to accelerate scientific research and advance bio-health innovation towards health equity.