Advisors

Reverend Yerby-Hammack has been preaching since 1994. She is the founder of Wind of Change Ministries, Inc., a ministry for women and the executive pastor of the City of Abraham Church and Ministries. She holds a Certificate of Religious Studies, a bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Eastern/Maryland Theological Seminary and has completed several programs to further her studies through the Johns Hopkins Medical Center. Reverend Yerby-Hammack has served in churches across the country and in a variety of capacities in organizations such as hospitals, prisons and jails, and shelters. She is a pastor, preacher, teacher, administrator, and author. Her book “Flying with One Wing: God’s Grace in Our Times of Adversity” was published in 2018 as a personal transparent account of what mental illness can often look like. It is a voice for the voiceless, hope for the hopeless, and encouragement for all those dealing with mental illness. Her testimony has been used to minister in the area of mental health to help reduce stigma, raise awareness, and push for advocacy within the church community.

Dr. Tyson Pankey is a counseling health psychologist and the Assistant Program Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for all training programs within the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Pankey earned his BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Master of Public Health degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine & Public Health. He completed his PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before joining Duke in 2021, Dr. Pankey completed fellowship training in medical psychology at Mayo Clinic with a dual specialization in transgender health and family medicine residency education. Dr. Pankey has expertise in culturally responsive behavioral healthcare, medical education, and training. He is passionate about using research, teaching, and clinical practice to address health disparities and systematic contributors to bias and inequity. He aims to advance evidence-based training initiatives that optimize the health, resilience, and well-being of all patients, leaners, and providers within integrated medical settings.

Stephen Heishman, PhD is Director, Office of Education and Career Development at the NIDA Intramural Research Program, NIH. He develops and presents career-related workshops and meets with trainees to discuss research, career, and life goals. For 25 years, he led a lab at NIDA that conducted research on the psychological and pharmacological determinants of tobacco addiction in humans, resulting in nearly 150 publications. In 2017, with the help of several postbac students, Dr. Heishman founded the NIDA Eliminating Stigma Team that creates programming focused on reducing the stigma surrounding drug addiction and mental illness. Through his volunteer work with the Metropolitan Baltimore chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, he is a lead presenter in the Ending the Silence program, which provides information and resources about mental illness to students, school staff, and families.