Theresa Hughes is a healthcare economist whose personal and professional life is dedicated to bringing  public political awareness that female specific programs iare one of the cornerstones to eliminate healthcare disparities in marginalized communities.   As an economist, she develops economic models and strategic plans to determine the healthcare and societal costs associated with healthcare disparities and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the nation’s correctional system, marginalized communities, and young adults addicted to opiate and injecting drugs.