Bizu Gelaye, PhD, MPH

Bizu Gelaye, PhD, MPH is a Senior Investigator and Chief of the Epidemiology Branch at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Before joining NICHD, Dr. Gelaye was a faculty member in the departments of epidemiology and psychiatry at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, and the Chester M. Pierce, MD Division of Global Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Gelaye’s research focuses on understanding the role preconception and perinatal psychosocial exposures (e.g., trauma exposure) play in shaping short- and long-term maternal and offspring health outcomes; studying how biological, molecular, environmental, social, and structural factors impact prematurity, particularly among racial and ethnic groups; and identifying evidence-based solutions that promote health equity and improve outcomes in maternal and child health. Dr. Gelaye’s research also includes a focus on the application of psychometric methods in cross-cultural settings. In addition to research, Dr. Gelaye is a highly regarded mentor, preparing outstanding, diverse public health scientists and leaders. He was the program director of the Multidisciplinary International Research Training program, the Mississippi Delta Partnership in Public Health Program, and the associate director of the Global Initiative for Neuropsychiatric Genetics Education in Research program. Dr. Gelaye has been a teaching faculty member at the Center for Bioethics since 2016. His research interests in ethics include ethics of global health, allocation of scarce resources, and social justice.