Jaclynn M. Hawkins

Dr. Jaclynn Hawkins is an associate professor at the School of Social Work and in the U-M Medical School Department of Learning Health Sciences. She is a nationally recognized expert in targeted intervention strategies for chronic disease management, particularly within populations that have historically exhibited limited access to care. As director of the Curtis Center for Health Services Research and Innovation, she leads initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes in diabetes care, with a focus on men from demographic groups with higher rates of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). Her research incorporates mixed-methods approaches and implementation science to investigate the relationship between demographic factors and health behaviors. Hawkins’s work has advanced the understanding of how behavioral patterns, cultural norms and access challenges influence chronic disease outcomes. She has led several landmark studies, including the Michigan Men's Diabetes Project (MenD), a peer-led self-management program for diabetes, and an adapted cognitive-behavioral therapy and exercise intervention tailored for men with T2D and co-occurring depression.

In addition to her research, Hawkins co-directs the Pilot and Feasibility Program at the Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research and serves as director of the Recruitment Retention and Community Engagement Core for the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center. She is active in the professional community through leadership roles in organizations such as the American Diabetes Association and the Michigan Men's Health Foundation. Her contributions have been recognized with major research grants from the NIH/NIDDK and the American Diabetes Association, and she has published extensively in high-impact journals on chronic disease management and population health. Hawkins is dedicated to mentoring early-career scholars and advancing translational research that improves health care engagement and clinical outcomes.