Heather Coats joined the University of Colorado College of Nursing as an Associate Professor, NTT in July 2017. Prior to joining the faculty, she completed a two-year post-doctoral NIH/ NHLBI T32 fellowship at the University of Washington/Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence in July 2017. She was invited to and is serving as one of the plenary speakers at the annual American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine/Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association State of the Science Session for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 national assemblies.

As a Palliative Care Adult Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Coats joined the College of Nursing with more than 20 years of clinical experience in palliative, oncology and hospice care. Prior to her post-doctoral fellowship, she was a NINR pre-doctoral fellow during her doctoral education at the University of Arizona, College of Nursing, where she received the Outstanding Dissertation Award.

Her research interests focus on improving psychological-social-spiritual well-being through the development of narrative interventions with minorities living with life-limiting illnesses.