Christy Harris Lemak, is Professor and former Chair of the Department of Health Services Administration in the School of Health Professions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also serves as Deputy Director of the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation in the University of Alabama Heersink School of Medicine.

Dr. Lemak’s research and teaching focus on leadership and high performance in health care. She is currently working to develop organizations where all leaders can thrive. Under her leadership, UAB has developed several programs to support women and under-represented populations to become health care leaders, including the UAB Women in Healthcare Leadership initiative and the UAB Academy for Addressing Health Disparities through Leadership. Her current research examines leadership to accelerate the health care’s digital transformation.

Dr. Lemak serves on the boards of Community Hospital Corporation (Plano, TX) and the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame. She was the recipient of the 2022 AUPHA Filerman Prize for Educational Leadership. Dr. Lemak previously held faculty and leadership positions in health administration at the University of Michigan and the University of Florida. She received her PhD from the University of Michigan, MHA and MBA degrees from the University of Missouri and a BS in Health Planning & Administration from the University of Illinois.

A native of Buffalo, Illinois (population 450), Christy and her husband, Mark Lemak reside in Homewood, AL.