DeLawnia Comer-HaGans, Ph.D., M.S.

DeLawnia Comer-HaGans, Ph.D., M.S., MBA, is the director of research and education in the Office of Health Equity at Dell Medical School.

Comer-HaGans previously served as the director of health disparities and public health policy in the Office of Public Health Policy and Performance at the Texas Department of State Health Services in Austin, Texas. In that role, she developed a seven-week health equity summer lecture seminar for medical residents. Comer-HaGans was also the principal investigator on a federal grant awarded from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The grant focus addressed COVID-19 health disparities among populations at high-risk and underserved, including racial and ethnic minority populations and rural communities.

Comer-HaGans’ previous role at the Department of State Health Services was health equity policy analyst. In that role, she developed a health equity vision for public health in the state of Texas. Comer-HaGans also led monthly health equity learning group webinars that provided a learning forum for employees, as well as provided technical assistance and peer support to different program areas across the agency on health equity issues. Additionally, Comer-HaGans advised on an external study that looked at the impact COVID-19 had on populations that have been made vulnerable in Texas.

Comer-HaGans spent eight years as a health disparities researcher and has expertise in diabetes and diabetes complications among individuals who have been made vulnerable. As a former associate professor in the Department of Health Administration at Governors State University, Comer-HaGans was a fellow at two different institutions: Meharry Medical College (M. Alfred Haynes Research Training for Social Equity) and the University of Arizona in Tucson (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Programs to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research Advanced Health Disparities). At both institutions she was trained in health disparities and equity as well as health outcomes research. Comer-HaGans was a co-investigator for a four-year National Cancer Institute grant with the University of Illinois-Chicago and Governors State University to examine health and cancer disparities among African American breast cancer survivors. She has experience in community engagement and intervention development particularly as it relates to populations that have not always been reachable by usual methods. Comer-HaGans brings 15 years of experience in health disparities and health equity to her new role.

Comer-HaGans earned a Ph.D. in public affairs, a Master of Science in applied sociology from The University of Texas at Dallas, a Master of Science in applied economics from the University of North Texas, an MBA from The University of Texas at San Antonio and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Texas Tech University.