Hopkins Population Center

Medical Campus:
615 N. Wolfe Street, Suite E4644

Baltimore, MD 21205

Arts and Science Campus:
3003 N. Charles St., Annex Suite 300
Baltimore, MD 21218

Research Themes

Among NICHD-funded centers, the Hopkins Population Center is unique in having a large majority of its faculty associates from health institutions (Bloomberg School of Public Health, School of Medicine, and School of Nursing).  These affiliations offer the research activities of HPC associates a distinctive focus on the health and well-being of population aggregates, both at home and abroad.

Poverty and Welfare Policy

Research on this theme focuses on both the United States and the developing world. Specific research activities include a major study of the effects of the US welfare reform legislation of 1996 on low-income families, studies of the equity effects of mass health interventions in the developing world, and the role of income and other development indicators on reducing child mortality levels. 

Dr. Andrew Cherlin, the Hopkins Population Center director, is one of the Principal Investigators on the Three-City Study, an intensive study in Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio to assess the well-being of low-income children and families in the post-welfare reform era. Go to the Three-City Study Website...

Sexual and Reproductive Health

Research on this theme runs the gamut from the politics of adolescent sexuality in the United States to levels of maternal mortality in the developing world. Specific activities include a major cohort study of HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) in Uganda, analyses of contraceptive use in the developing world, the development and testing of methods to measure maternal and perinatal health, and studies of STD and teenage pregnancy risk factors in Baltimore.

Dr. Ron Gray is a co-Principal Investigator for the Rakai Health Sciences Program, a long term study of AIDS that started in 1987. Currently the Program staff in Uganda includes just under 400 highly dedicated and energetic principal investigators, multidisciplinary professionals, and support staff who conduct a wide range of reproductive health research and service activities. Go to the Rakai Health Sciences Program Website...

Transition to Adulthood and Family Demography

This research theme focuses on issues specific to adolescence, taken as the age range between 10 and 25, and the crucial life course transitions that take place. Specific activities involve research on the roles of neighborhood, family and individual factors in successful adolescence in inner-city US populations, analysis of trends in transitions to marriage and first birth in the developing world, and protective factors for risky behaviors such as smoking and alcohol use.

Dr. Freya Sonenstein and Dr. Clea McNeely, HPC Associates, are director and deputy director of the Center for Adolescent Health, a research center committed to assisting urban youth to become healthy and productive adults. Together with community partners, the Center conducts research that identifies the needs and strengths of young people and tests programs designed to promote their health and well-being. Dr. Sonenstein is also the PI for the fourth wave of the National Survey of Adolescent Males (NSAM). Go the the Center for Adolescent Health Website...

Last Updated: July 2008

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