Sidney Hankerson

Dr. Sidney Hankerson, MD, MBA, is a psychiatrist and mental health equity researcher focused on closing the gap in mental health care for underserved communities. Hankerson serves as associate professor and vice chair of community engagement in the Department of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and director of mental health equity research at the Institute for Health Equity Research. He is recognized for his expertise in engaging faith- and community-based organizations to increase access to culturally relevant mental health care.

Hankerson completed a dual MD/MBA program at Emory University, where he served as medical school class president for two years. He completed his psychiatry residency at Emory and was chief resident of psychiatry at Grady Memorial Hospital. He then completed a National Institute of Mental Health-funded research fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center and was on faculty at Columbia for 13 years before transitioning to his current leadership roles at Mount Sinai. During his tenure at Columbia, Hankerson served as co-director of the Columbia University Wellness Center and conducted National Institutes of Health-funded research on reducing racial and ethnic disparities in mental health treatment.

Hankerson's research centers on community mental health and the intersection of faith, culture, and mental health equity. As co-primary investigator of a National Institute of Mental Health-funded study known as TRIUMPH, Hankerson and his team at Mount Sinai, in partnership with the Columbia University Center for Community Health, have screened more than 1,200 adults for depression and anxiety by collaborating with 22 churches in New York City. His National Institute of Mental Health Career Development Award focused on implementing evidence-based practices for depression in African American churches, and his research aims to train church-based community health workers to deliver culturally tailored motivational interviewing to church members who screen positive for depression.

Hankerson has presented at the White House, including President Obama's White House Dialogue on Men's Health, the United Nations, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and national academic conferences. He has been featured on several TV programs, including the PBS documentary "Mysteries of Mental Illness," a PIX11 News special focused on mental health in the Black community, and a CBS segment about Mount Sinai. He has also appeared on NAMI's podcast "Hope Starts With Us," discussing his work with the HOPE Center and the TRIUMPH study.

Hankerson has received honors such as selection by the National Academy of Medicine as one of 10 physicians in the U.S. for its Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Program and the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Service Award. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Hankerson as chair of the Community Services Board of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. He was an inaugural member of the American Psychiatric Association's Council of Faith and Community Partnerships and served on the APA Council of Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities. Through research, public advocacy, and community partnerships, Hankerson continues to influence the delivery of mental health care to underserved populations.