Her research interests include maternal child health, health equity, suburban public health and community-based research. She is the author of the book Back to Sleep: Creation, Conflict and Consequences of a Public Health Campaign. She previously served as a deputy director at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health and was also a television producer. Dr. Hackett earned a BFA in film and television from New York University, an MPH from Hunter College, and a PhD in sociology from the City University of New York Graduate Center. She lives in Uniondale, Long Island, New York, with her husband and two sons.