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Melvin R. Echols, MD, FACC, is the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer of the American College of Cardiology and leads the College's diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and programs. In his role, Echols works with ACC members, staff, external partners and other stakeholders to identify and implement programmatic goals and develop actionable and sustainable solutions to achieve a more diverse, equitable and inclusive College and cardiovascular profession.

Echols maintains a portion of his clinical and research responsibilities at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta and is an associate professor of cardiovascular disease at Morehouse School of Medicine and serves as program director for the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship. He is also a practicing cardiologist specializing in heart failure and brings more than a decade of experience as a clinical trial investigator focusing on heart failure, quality improvement, social determinants of health, and health care disparities.

Echols graduated from Morehouse School of Medicine in 2002 and completed Internal Medicine at Duke University in 2005. He completed his cardiovascular fellowship training at Duke University Medical Center. He is a member of the ACC, Association of Black Cardiologists, the Heart Failure Society of America, the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, and the American Heart Association.