Scott K Heysell, MD

Scott Heysell, MD, MPH, is an internal medicine physician specializing in infectious diseases. His primary focus is caring for people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial diseases.

Heysell is an active researcher and supports partners worldwide in an effort to reduce tuberculosis-related deaths and correct factors that contribute to tuberculosis, including poverty, health system management and chronic medical conditions such as HIV and diabetes. His research group also studies how to maximize drug efficacy to improve treatment outcomes.

An English major as an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University, Heysell returned to his home state of Oregon to complete medical school at Oregon Health Sciences University. He went on to complete a Master’s of Public Health degree with a focus in epidemiology and biostatistics prior to attending Yale University for residency training in internal medicine.

It was time working in rural South Africa caring for people during an HIV and drug-resistant tuberculosis epidemic that most influenced Heysell’s career path and research interests. He completed his fellowship in infectious diseases at UVA Health System, working within a division dedicated to eliminating the diseases of poverty. 

Heysell is married to a fellow physician-scientist working with infectious diseases. They have two children who keep them busy, follow them around for work-related travel, but also provide an important connection to their community.