Lisa Meeks

Dr. Lisa Meeks is a Clinical Professor of Medical Education at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, an Adjunct Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, and Founder and Executive Director of the Docs With Disabilities Initiative. An internationally recognized leader in disability inclusion and health professions education, she has helped shape national policy, institutional practice, and research advancing accessibility across the continuum of medical education and clinical practice.

Her work focuses on creating equitable systems that enable learners, clinicians, and patients with disabilities to thrive, with particular attention to those who experience intersecting forms of marginalization. Through partnerships with medical schools, health professions programs, national organizations, accrediting bodies, and professional societies, Dr. Meeks develops evidence-based policies, educational resources, and implementation strategies that advance disability inclusion and transform learning environments. She is also committed to elevating the voices and lived experiences of disabled physicians and trainees through scholarship, storytelling, and community-building initiatives.

Dr. Meeks is the editor and author of the field's leading texts, including Disability as Diversity and the second edition of Equal Access for Students with Disabilities: The Guide for Health Science and Professional Education. She served as Guest Editor of the landmark 2025 Academic Medicine supplement on disability inclusion in undergraduate medical education and has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. Her work has appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, JAMA, and Academic Medicine, and has been featured by NPR, The Washington Post, CNBC, Time, Bloomberg Law, and AAMC News. In recognition of her impact, she was named to the inaugural Forbes Accessibility 100 in 2025 and the Forbes Accessibility 200 in 2026.

As lead author of the AAMC special report, Accessibility, Inclusion, and Action in Medical Education: Lived Experiences of Learners and Physicians with Disabilities, Dr. Meeks has helped establish a national framework for advancing disability inclusion in medical education. She co-created the #DocsWithDisabilities social media campaign, co-hosts the Docs with Disabilities Podcast, and leads the Docs With Disabilities Initiative, a global organization dedicated to advancing disability inclusion through research, education, advocacy, and community. She also serves on the ACGME Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Among her most meaningful contributions is mentoring the next generation of disabled physicians, scientists, educators, and leaders.

Through her scholarship, leadership, and advocacy, Dr. Meeks continues to build a future in which disability is recognized as a valued dimension of diversity and an essential part of excellence in healthcare.

For more information, visit the Docs With Disabilities website.