Newsmakers: April 2021

Fernández-Peña recognized

APHA President José Ramón Fernández-Peña, MD, MPA, in March was honored with the Dennis Clark Solas Award from the Welcoming Center. The Philadelphia organization promotes immigrant inclusion. Fernández-Peña was recognized for his advocacy for immigrants, which has been central to his career.

Jha named dean

Ashish Jha, MD, MPH, in February was named dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. His tenure will begin in September. Jha was most recently faculty director of the Harvard Global Health Institute. Jha’s predecessor, APHA member Bess Marcus, PhD, will return to full-time research and teaching as a member of the Brown faculty.

Black health leaders recognized

The New York Academy of Medicine in February recognized Black pioneers and trailblazers in medicine and health. Awardees include APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, and APHA member Mary Bassett, MD, MPH. Bassett is the director of the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University.

Trivino named associate dean

Sharon Trivino, MBA, was named associate dean for development and alumni relations for the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in January. Trivino previously was director of development and alumni relations at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Her term began in February.

Dean joins USDA

Stacy Dean, MPP, in January was named deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In her new role, Dean will focus on improving access to nutrition assistance. Dean previously was vice president for food assistance policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Morrison appointed distinguished professor

J. Stephen Morrison, PhD, in January was appointed James R. Schlesinger distinguished professor at the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. Morrison is the senior vice president and director of the Global Health Policy Center. He will serve in the role during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Nguyen receives grant

APHA member Quynh Nguyen, PhD, MSPH, in February received a $3.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for her research on racial discrimination. The grant will fund a project that uses social media data and machine learning to explore the climate of racial discrimination and its potential impacts on birth outcomes. Nguyen is an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

Williams’ leadership recognized

Michelle Williams, SM, ScD, in February was recognized with the Research!America 2021 Clear Voice Award. The award recognizes someone who has effectively communicated important health and science information to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Williams is the dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Baccarelli receives grant

Andrea Baccarelli, MD, PhD, in February was awarded a $4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging. The five-year grant will fund his research on cognitive decline. Baccarelli is the chair of the Environmental Health Sciences Department at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Navas-Acien receives grant

Ana Navas-Acien, MD, PhD, in February received a five-year award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The $3 million grant will fund research on metal exposure and early cardiovascular risks in adult e-cigarette users. Navas-Acien is a physician-epidemiologist and professor of environmental health sciences at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Holland wins award

Andrew Holland, MA, PhD, an associate professor of molecular biology and genetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, was presented with the President’s Frontier Award in February. Holland, a molecular biologist, was given the $250,000 award in recognition of his research in cell division. The award supports Johns Hopkins scholars “who are on the cusp of transforming their fields.”

Lambert receives grant

APHA member Danielle Lambert, MPH, PhD, in February was granted the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The award will fund her research on online dating abuse among adolescents ages 13-17 and explore how digital platforms can be used to prevent and intervene in violence. Lambert is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health.

Lindsay Syms contributed to this article.