Dr. Clifton Addison is a Senior Research Scientist with the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) and helped to develop the foundation of the JHS, where he utilizes his background, training, and experiences in the long-term battle to improve the quality of life for Mississippians and reduce health disparities that have plunged the health status of communities to the cellar position in comparison to the rest of the United States. He has developed expertise in public health education and health promotion; Dr. Addison is also a professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the School of Public Health at Jackson State, Mississippi.