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Sheila Elijah-Barnwell, Ph.D., AIA, NCARB, EDAC, LEED AP


Director of Healthcare
Altus Architectural Studios

Sheila is a 24-year veteran of the healthcare design field, with extensive experience as a project designer, medical planner, project manager, and researcher. As the Director of Healthcare at Altus Architectural Studios, she leads the firm’s healthcare program, developing and nurturing relationships with clients and project teams while leading initiatives to improve the planning and design process. Prior to joining Altus, Sheila initiated and led the research program at HDR for 6 years focusing on the impacts of the built environment on human behavioral and health outcomes while building standardized tools for use in existing facility assessment and post occupancy evaluation.  She is an active contributor to the healthcare design industry through peer-reviewed articles, white papers, presentations, and serving on the Editorial Review Board for HERD Journal.  Sheila has also facilitated and taught graduate-level research design studios and seminars with a focus on Health and Healthcare at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Architecture since 2008.