Baltimore Community Engagement

MISSION STATEMENT FOR BALTIMORE 

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology conducts research to discover and characterize the fundamental biological processes relevant to health and disease. The Department seeks to support Baltimore organizations that introduce city students to the biomedical sciences and public health.  

BALTIMORE HIGHLIGHTS 

Engaging Baltimore City Students in STEM Research   

Since 2021, the BMB D&I committee has organized a series of outreach events at local middle and high schools. Most recently, the D&I committee organized a Community Outreach Event in the spring of 2024, where two dozen high school students from Green Street Academy visited BMB for lab tours, scientific activities, and a networking lunch with faculty and students. These events have successfully sparked interest in STEM careers by offering students hands-on lab experiences and discussions with researchers about their work and career paths. These efforts will continue every year as an effort to sustainably engage with the Baltimore community. 

Faculty Lead(s): Brittany Jenkins-Lord, PhD; Utthara Nayar, PhD 

Biophysics Research for Baltimore Teens  

Biophysics Research for Baltimore Teens (BRBT) gathers Baltimore City High Schoolers for a paid summer internship aimed at developing critical thinking skills and learning lab skills. The program includes didactic teaching in Biophysics, hands on training at the bench, and partnership with JHU labs for question-driven research. Additionally, participants paired with Peer Mentors comprised of JHU undergrad and PhD students. 

Faculty Lead(s): Jungsan Sohn, PhD (SOM) 

Participating BMB Faculty: Jennifer Kavran, PhD; Scott Bailey, PhD 

MISSION STATEMENT FOR BALTIMORE 

The discipline of biostatistics creates and applies methods for quantitative research in the health sciences. In Baltimore, the Department supports the design and analysis of critical studies of importance to the health of the city. It also aims to promote education in biostatistics and associated career paths for city students. Our ultimate goals in these activities are to create authentic relationships with community partners to improve the health of the city’s residents and create avenues for opportunity, empowerment, and social change through the application of quantitative  reasoning  and data science and statistical education.  

BALTIMORE HIGHLIGHTS 

Aging and Experience Corps 

The Department of Biostatistics is an integral part of the Women’s Health and Aging Studies, which has followed more than a thousand older Baltimoreans for up to 17 years to determine factors that contribute to robust health and conditions that play a part in disability or frailty. Another initiative, the Experience Corps Project, in partnership with Baltimore City schools, Civic Ventures (a nonprofit in San Francisco, California), and the Greater Homewood Community Corporation, engages older adults to tutor children in Baltimore schools, an activity that can yield health benefits for the adults and improve children’s educational experience and behavior. Department faculty have contributed to these two studies since their inception, from initial study design through analysis.

DataTrail  

The Department’s free massive open online courses (MOOCs) make it possible for students worldwide to obtain data science and statistics education. In partnership with Leanpub and local nonprofits such as  Youth Opportunity (YO!) Baltimore, HeartSmiles, and Urban Alliance, the Department created DataTrail, a paid 14-week educational initiative for young adults and high school and GED graduates. DataTrail aims to equip members of underserved communities with the skills and support required to work in the booming data science field. With a dual focus on training Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, and their potential employers, DataTrail is a fresh take on workforce development. 

Baltimore Community Data Science  

The Department has developed the course, Baltimore Community Data Science, in partnership with  SOURCE, the community engagement and service-learning center. In this course, students collaborate with community organizations, such as the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition, the No Boundaries Coalition, and HeartSmiles, to work together on data science-related goals.   

MISSION STATEMENT FOR BALTIMORE 

The Department of Environmental Health and Engineering is committed to promoting public health and a healthy environment in Baltimore. To this end, EHE is engaged in numerous activities, including health promotion and screening programs, educational activities, and direct environmental health research in Baltimore communities. EHE centers, faculty, staff, and students partner with a variety of community-based organizations and local and state government agencies in Baltimore to improve the local environment and the health of city residents. EHE provides educational opportunities and materials on a variety of topics, such as asthma prevention strategies, promotion of healthy homes, promotion of access to and consumption of healthy foods, and promotion of the health of our local waterways. Building trusting relationships and fostering bidirectional communications among local residents, community leaders, and EHE staff is central to creating a healthy and just environment in Baltimore. 

BALTIMORE HIGHLIGHTS

Day at Northeast Market 

Nearly twenty years ago, the Department’s community engagement team helped to establish Day at the Market, which is held at least two days a month at the Northeast Market near the School. This program provides information to market-goers on nutrition and a host of health concerns including cancer, heart disease, asthma and diabetes. Most recently, the program added blood pressure screening and other services to help people prevent and manage chronic illness.  

Project Leads: Barbara Bates-Hopkins

Safer Agriculture in Baltimore 

To investigate potential metal contamination risks associated with urban agriculture in Baltimore, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, based in the Department, collaborated with the Farm Alliance of Baltimore, Parks & People Foundation, Baltimore City Office of Sustainability, and University of Maryland Extension, Baltimore, to design and implement the Safe Urban Harvests Study. During the 2017 growing season, researchers surveyed 104 farms and gardens in Baltimore to learn about their growing practices and tested soil and water. The study found that, with rare exceptions, urban farmers and gardeners can continue growing safely in Baltimore. This report summarizes the findings and provides guidance on ways to reduce exposures to contaminants in urban agriculture.  

Evaluating the Impacts of Energy Options on Baltimore’s Air Quality 

A Department team is working with Yale University researchers on the EPA-funded Solutions for Energy, AiR, Climate and Health Center to evaluate how low-cost sensor technology can be used to assess neighborhood-level variability in pollutant and greenhouse gas concentrations. Since 2019, the EHE team has built and deployed about 45 low-cost air quality monitors around Baltimore that measure concentrations of contaminants relevant to human health and climate health. Researchers are using the network data to evaluate spatial and temporal patterns in air pollution exposures and to understand the role of important sources in the region on the variability observed.  A major focus of the project is to quantify the accuracy, precision, and calibration requirements for a low-cost network.  

Faculty Lead: Kirsten Koehler, PhD

MISSION STATEMENT FOR BALTIMORE 

The Department of Epidemiology improves the public’s health by training epidemiologists and by advancing knowledge and skills concerning the causes and prevention of disease and the promotion of health. The Department supports Baltimore by strengthening the city’s capacity to use the tools of epidemiology to understand patterns of illness and improve health outcomes. The Department promotes a diverse and inclusive community and provides training in the competencies, practice, and translation of epidemiology with ultimate goals of improving physical and mental health, reducing disability, advancing health equity, and preventing premature deaths. 

BALTIMORE HIGHLIGHTS

Baltimore’s Guaranteed Income Pilot Program 

Baltimore’s Guaranteed Income Pilot Program, which launched in April 2022, will provide 200 Baltimore-based parents between 18 and 24 with an unconditional cash payment of $1,000 per month over two years to provide financial stability. The Department is guiding two research projects in connection with the program, which will serve as a model pilot for Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. The research efforts are supported by the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  

Faculty Lead: Lorraine Dean, ScD

COVID-19 Research Response Program: Community Collaboration to Combat Coronavirus (C-FORWARD)

Department faculty are leading a Baltimore-based study, Community Collaboration to Combat Coronavirus, as part of the University’s COVID-19 Research Response Program. This is an ongoing study to compare three approaches to testing: 1) fixed-site testing, such as at a pharmacy; 2) community-based mobile van testing; or 3) self-collected home-based testing. 

Faculty Lead: Shruti Mehta, PhD, MPH

Addressing Addiction and Overdose

Baltimore has the highest per capita prevalence of injection drug use in the U.S. Department faculty experts are leading research with a focus on characterizing the intersecting epidemics of substance use, criminal justice involvement, and blood-borne infections such as HIV and hepatitis C. A current research focus is on strengthening harm reduction services through integration with other key interventions, such as linkage to treatment for substance use disorder, HIV prevention and care, and curative treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection. Researchers are also interested in evaluating the role of law enforcement deflection programs as a tool to reduce the negative impact of criminal justice system involvement.

Faculty Lead: Javier Cepeda, PhD, MPH

MISSION STATEMENT FOR BALTIMORE 

The Department of Health, Behavior and Society is dedicated to solving pressing public health challenges in Baltimore, the U.S., and around the globe by engaging in impactful public health research, training, and practice focused on the influences of social context, structures, systems, and behaviors.  

BALTIMORE HIGHLIGHTS

Baltimore HIV Behavioral Surveillance  

Faculty, students, and staff in the Department work in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health to implement the Behavioral Surveillance Research (BESURE) project, the Baltimore site of CDC’s National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) Project. Locally, BESURE operates as community health project that measures prevalence and trends in HIV, health and social issues, health-related behaviors, and service utilization through annual population-based data collection among populations highly affected by HIV in Baltimore. BESURE works in collaboration with local partners to provide resources and referrals to community members on site and disseminate project findings. Results of the study directly inform program planning and prioritization to improve health outcomes and prevent HIV transmission in Baltimore. BESURE celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024 and received formal recognition “for going above and beyond the science of NHBS to make project participants feel welcomed, appreciated, and cared for."

Faculty Lead: Danielle German, PhD, MPH    

Mobile overdose- and HIV-prevention harm reduction services in Baltimore 

The Check It program provides wound care, HIV prevention, point-of-care drug checking, overdose response training, and other harm reduction services to people who use drugs in Baltimore neighborhoods that experience a high burden of drug overdose. The program is supported at the federal, state, and school level with funds from NIDA, Maryland Department of Health, and Bloomberg American Health Initiative. In collaboration with community partners including Charm City Care Connection, Amazing Grace Church, Daniel C. Torsch Foundation, Baltimore City Health Department, and SPARC, Check It served clients in Brooklyn, Dundalk, East Baltimore, and West Baltimore through 1200+ encounters in 2024. 

Faculty Lead(s): Danielle Friedman Nestadt, PhD, MPH, MSW; Susan G. Sherman, PhD, MPH    

MISSION STATEMENT FOR BALTIMORE 

The Department of Health Policy and Management aims to advance the public’s health through the development, implementation, and evaluation of effective health and social policies, and emphasizes the importance of sound management and creative leadership in identifying and implementing effective and equitable solutions. In Baltimore, the Department’s faculty, staff, and students work to support effective health policy on a broad range of topics, working with both the public and private sectors.  

BALTIMORE HIGHLIGHTS  

Advancing Health in All Policies 

Assistant Scientist Sadiya Muqueeth, DrPH, MPH, is a full-time faculty member who also serves as chief health policy officer for the Baltimore City Health Department. In this role, she works to advance and integrate health into city policies in collaboration with partners like the Department of Public Works and Department of Housing & Community Development. Muqueeth’s frontline role offers students hands-on opportunities in data collection and analysis, showcasing how a health lens can be applied to improve lives and strengthen communities. This unique role is funded by the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and Institute for Health & Social Policy. 

Faculty Lead: Sadiya Muqueeth, DrPH, MPH 

  
Connecting Racial Capitalism & Gun Violence in Baltimore and Beyond   

Baltimore was a forerunner in redlining, the practice of systematically segregating neighborhoods by denying housing loans based on race or ethnicity. Assistant Professor Mudia Uzzi, PhD, compared Baltimore census tracts with historical redlining and high contemporary subprime lending to firearm violence rates. Tracts affected by both practices had firearm violence eight times higher than unaffected areas, underscoring the lasting impact of racial capitalism on community safety. Researchers developed a framework emphasizing how racialized dispossession and racialized spatial stigma drive systemic disinvestment. The findings could help Baltimore and other cities integrate racial capitalism into public health policymaking to address structural racism.  

Faculty Lead: Mudia Uzzi, PhD 

Addressing the Opioid Crisis Effectively 

Baltimore has been disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic, with 500+ million pills distributed from 2006–2019. As of mid-2024, Baltimore City accounted for 44% of Maryland’s overdose deaths, despite only constituting 9% of the state’s population. Baltimore has secured $400+ million in settlements to date from opioid manufacturers and distributors. Senior Practice Associate Sara Whaley, MPH helped develop five principles for effective use of opioid settlement dollars under the Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative. Whaley also advises Baltimore City’s Opioid Restitution Fund, prioritizing evidence-based strategies, sustained investment, racial equity, youth drug use prevention, and transparency with regular reports and analysis.  

Faculty Lead: Sarah Whaley, MPH 

MISSION STATEMENT FOR BALTIMORE  

Within Baltimore, there are glaring disparities in health outcomes between different parts of the city, with greater disadvantage among Black and minority communities. Our University has increasingly recognized the role that it can play in driving social and economic development opportunities in Baltimore. The Department of International Health has decades of expertise in addressing health challenges in low-resource environments, and our learning from the global context is beginning to translate into more opportunities for Baltimore. One key strategic objective of the Department for 2020–2024 is to strengthen partnerships in Baltimore and, with Native American communities across the U.S., explore the relevance of solutions developed to address global challenges to local communities.  

BALTIMORE HIGHLIGHTS 

A Comprehensive Resource Map for Maryland Mothers and Families  

The Maryland Maternal Health Innovation Program (MDMOM) is a nine-year (2019–2028) program to improve maternal health across the state of Maryland. Over the past five years, MDMOM has built maternal health workforce capacity and supported hospitals to review and learn from adverse maternal outcomes and, in response, implement changes in culture and operations to promote patient safety and equity. In addition, we have empowered women with tools to act for their own health, from home-monitoring of blood pressure, to recognizing urgent maternal warning signs, to using an interactive resource map that connects women and families to services in their community. In Baltimore, the program works with all seven hospitals as well as home visiting programs and community-based organizations. About half of more than 2,500 resources and services included in the resource map are in Baltimore.  MDMOM is a collaboration between Johns Hopkins University, the Maryland Department of Health, and the Maryland Patient Safety Center. 

Faculty Lead: Andreea Creanga, MD 

 Support Application for Food Pantries (SAFPAS)  

The Support Application for Food Pantries (SAFPAS) study is a feasibility trial funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The study aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a mobile application designed to enhance food pantry operations in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. This app focuses on improving volunteer management and training, promoting choice-based distribution models, and strengthening emergency preparedness. A key strength of the SAFPAS study is its commitment to community engagement. From the outset, we have collaborated closely with food pantry directors, volunteers, and local residents to shape and refine the app's design and functionality.  

Faculty Leads: Joel Gittelsohn, PhD; Daniel Barnett, MD, MPH; and Melissa M. Reznar, PhD, MPH (Oakland University) 

Focus on Restaurant Engagement to Strengthen Health (FRESH) 

The Focus on Restaurant Engagement to Strengthen Health (FRESH) trial addresses the public health challenge of sustainably improving access to and promotion of healthier foods and beverages in independently owned restaurants in low-income African American communities in Baltimore and Latinx communities in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Our primary objective is to partner with 24 independently owned restaurants to improve access to healthier food and beverage options. This involves improving choices on restaurant menus, upgrading cooking methods for healthier meals, and implementing effective ways to promote these healthier options. FRESH is a five-year project that is funded by the National Institutes of Health through 2027. 

Visit our FRESH website 

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Faculty Leads: Joel Gittelsohn, PhD; Uriyoan Colon-Ramos (George Washington University) 

MISSION STATEMENT FOR BALTIMORE 

The Department of Mental Health conducts research to advance the understanding of mental and behavioral disorders; develops, implements, and evaluates methods to prevent and control these disorders; and promotes mental health in the population.  

Faculty, students, and staff in the Department have a long history of working in partnership with local organizations, agencies, and Baltimore residents to advance research, advocacy, and policies that aim to promote positive behavioral health and eliminate or lessen disparities in mental and behavioral disorders. Department faculty, students, and staff take multiple approaches to this work, including supporting residents or agencies in their advocacy and initiatives and directly engaging community partners in the planning, design, implementation, and interpretation and dissemination of research findings. A common thread in the Department’s partnered projects and initiatives is a commitment to advancing inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism in relationships with Baltimore community members and organizations. The following three diverse areas are among the many examples of community engagement occurring in the Department of Mental Health.    

BALTIMORE HIGHLIGHTS 

HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study at JHU and KKI  

The goal of the HBCD study is to study the trajectory of brain development of children from birth to 10 years of age, study how exposure to substances (biological and environmental) impact child and brain development, and assess how early life exposure to opioids, marijuana, alcohol, and /or other substances impact brain development. We are in the process of recruiting 300 pregnant persons with the goal of follow up of infants for 10 years to participate in this effort as part of a national study. We work with Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, and community organizations spanning maternal and child health, child development, and substance use treatment resources to disseminate awareness of this project and offer connections to resources which may benefit study participants. The HBCD study will provide new knowledge regarding child brain and social development, and the impacts which the environment and social support may have. 

Faculty Leads: Heather Volk, PhD, MPH; James Pekar, PhD; Andrew Satin, MD 

A Multilevel Approach to Trauma Informed Care for HIV-Prevention (M.A.T.C.H.)

The goal of the M.A.T.C.H. study is to increase PrEP initiation among Black women in Baltimore. Guided by Intersectionality, Constrained Choice theory, and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we adapted a trauma-informed peer navigation intervention to the PrEP context.  Having completed qualitative interviews with Black cisgender women to inform the design of the intervention, the M.A.T.C.H study will work with STAR and other community-based organizations to recruit 300 women during the course of the intervention trial.  We plan to assess the effectiveness and implementation of the multilevel intervention. 

Faculty Lead: Tiara Willie, PhD, MA 

MISSION STATEMENT FOR BALTIMORE

 The Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology pursues research that aims to advance the understanding of the biology of disease and to use knowledge to solve public health problems affecting our community. The Department seeks to apply this knowledge in Baltimore and to encourage Baltimore students to pursue careers in biomedical fields. 

BALTIMORE HIGHLIGHTS

Summer Internship Program

Laboratories in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology provide learning opportunities for Baltimore youth by participating in several internship programs. These include the Medical Education Resources Initiative for Teens (MERIT), that provides opportunities for Baltimore city students to work in our labs over the summer, the Diversity Summer Internship Program (DSIP), an eight week summer program that provides undergraduates from underrepresented and diverse groups with an opportunity to carry out an independent research project in biomedical science, and The Meyerhoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). 

Community-Based Practice Through Civic Engagement Course 

The MMI R3 Center for Innovation in Science Education is engaged in a teaching and learning initiative through their graduate course in civic engagement (260-848-81). The course allows students to explore opportunities for educational projects in the Baltimore community with a focus on building equitable partnerships with community members and the development of effective evaluation methods to assess outcomes of community-based projects. 

Course link:  https://publichealth.jhu.edu/course/41467 

Faculty Lead: Maggie Wear, PhD 

Becoming a Community Leader through Influential Communication 

The R3 Center for Innovation in Science Education (R3ISE) is developing training opportunities for Baltimore-based college (two- and four-year) as well as graduate students to build critical leadership skills and become influential advocates for good science. The program employs a service-learning- and asset-model-based capacity-building approach that assists students in addressing challenging communications, correcting misconceptions, and combating mis- and disinformation about science and health in the public media. The project team aims to accomplish this by integrating pedagogical elements from the performing and creative arts (theater, voice, and poetry) into responsible communications training workshops for students across multiple disciplines.  

Faculty Lead: Gundula Bosch, PhD, MEd

Project Webpage: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/the-r3-center-for-innovation-in-science-education/team-network/the-r3-science-communications-leadership-webinars 

MISSION STATEMENT FOR BALTIMORE

The Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health strives to optimize the health and well-being of individuals, families, and populations across the life course through public health science, teaching, and practice. We cultivate partnerships with community organizations and local agencies to improve health across the lifespan in Baltimore and beyond. 

BALTIMORE HIGHLIGHTS

Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children 

The Johns Hopkins Women’s, Infants and Children program provides services to over 8,000  WIC-eligible clients at 12 clinics and several shelters for the homeless, victims of domestic abuse, and pre-school age children in Baltimore. The program is supported at the state level with funds from the Maryland Department of Agriculture. It includes studies to address maternal obesity, improve food choices, and expand access to healthy food. Faculty work closely with the WIC program at Johns Hopkins and have implemented and studied numerous initiatives aimed at improving rates of breastfeeding among mothers served. 

Faculty Lead: Susan Gross, PhD, MPH

The Survey of Police-Adolescent Contact Experiences (SPACE) 

Young people in urban areas of the United States report high rates of police contact and hypersurveillance. SPACE was co-designed with Black youth in Baltimore City (ages 12–21) to better understand their exposures to, experiences with, and stress about police contact and police violence, with a focus on health impacts. Community-based recruitment involved collaboration between faculty in the Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health (PFRH), the Department of Mental Health (DMH), and 12 youth-serving organizations in Baltimore City. The project was co-developed with the Johns Hopkins Center for Adolescent Health (CAH) Youth Advisory Board (YAB) to ensure youth co-production of materials and the inclusion of diverse youth participants in the survey, including youth not working and/or in school and LGBTQ+ youth. Ultimately, the goal of SPACE is to raise awareness around this issue and catalyze developmentally-tailored, trauma-informed police trainings, policies, and practices that minimize harms to young people in urban communities. 

Faculty Lead: Dylan B. Jackson, PhD, MS 

Assessing the Associations between Occupational Training Programs and the Health of Young Adults 

The transition from high school to the workforce presents significant challenges for young people, particularly for young people in racialized communities, resulting in difficulties in securing and maintaining employment due to factors such as trauma, poverty, and community violence. To address these challenges, the Grads2Careers initiative was launched by a coalition of organizations in Baltimore City to assist recent high school graduates who are not planning to enter college by providing access to occupational training programs and essential wrap-around services, including mental health support. Researchers from the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health have been working with Grads2Careers to understand how health—encompassing mental, sexual, and physical well-being—affects youth employment pathways and program outcomes. Specifically, the longitudinal study aims to investigate the relationships between various health aspects and participation in the Grads2Careers program, assess the long-term impact on employment and health, and gather insights from participants and training providers regarding the utility of wrap-around services in program participation. 

Faculty Leads: Beth Marshall, DrPH; Kristin Mmari, DrPH