About Billy Ballard D.D.S, M.D.

Dr. Billy Ballard is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology and Associate Dean for Continuing Medical Education at Meharry Medical College.

With a career spanning nearly 50 years, Dr. Ballard is a well-respected pathologist with more than 120 publications, and he has been a pioneering force who has opened many doors for African American students, residents and faculty.

He earned a B.S. degree from Southern University in Louisiana before studying at Meharry Medical College where he completed both the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree and the Doctor of Medicine degree.

Dr. Ballard began his academic career with dual appointments as Assistant Professor of Pathology and Oral Pathology at the State University of New York at Buffalo.  He has been a tenured professor since 1971. Dr. Ballard’s faculty appointments, with tenure, continued at Meharry Medical College, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

Since 1982, continuous funding has been awarded from HRSA for Dr. Ballard’s grant proposals at research institutions. These programs include: Health Careers Opportunity Program, Post Baccalaureate Program, Hispanic Center of Excellence, and Historical Black Colleges and Universities Center of Excellence.  In 2005, the HRSA Bureau of Health Professions honored Dr. Ballard with the Associate Administrator Achievement Award, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and achievement in improving the diversity of the nation’s health workforce.