Susanne Tropez-Sims, MD

Dr. Susanne Tropez-Sims is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. She attended Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, graduating in 1971 with a major in Biology/Chemistry. She then matriculated at University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill where she completed her MD degree in 1975 before beginning her internship and residency in pediatrics at North Carolina Memorial Hospital. Further training included a Master of Public Health from UNC – Chapel Hill, along with a Preventive Medicine Fellowship and a Community Pediatric Fellowship in 1982. She went on to become an academician, serving at UNC – Chapel Hill, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, and Meharry Medical College. Despite the rigors of academia, Dr. Tropez-Sims was also the Maternal and Child Health Director for the New Orleans Health Department.

Dr. Tropez-Sims became an advocate for abused children and was a child medical examiner for the states of North Carolina and Louisiana. She trained physicians, police, social workers, and lawyers in evaluating child abuse. Her research consisted of sexually transmitted diseases in sexually abused children and adolescents. In addition, she designed and implemented a program entitled “Teens with Tots.” This program encouraged adolescent mothers to continue school, thereby reducing the pregnancy recidivism rate. Never losing her passion for adolescents, she implemented one and managed two school-based clinics in New Orleans.

In 1997, Dr. Tropez-Sims joined Meharry as Chairperson of Pediatrics, also serving as Professor, Clerkship Director, and – in 2005 – Associate Dean of Clinical Affiliations. She has directed MINDS (Moving in New Directions), an HIV/AIDS prevention program, in two Davidson County public schools and a faculty development mentoring program at Meharry. Her research at Meharry has focused on faculty development, HIV/AIDS prevention in adolescents, Vitamin D deficiency, HPV vaccines in adolescents, and correlations between infant obesity and maternal obesity. She has received numerous honors and awards from the American Academy of Pediatrics, communities in which she worked, and Meharry.

In Dec 2019 Dr. Tropez-Sims retired but continues on contract assisting Meharry SOM with administrative duties.