Andreea Creanga Appointed Chair of Epidemiology at University of Maryland

Andreea Creanga Takes the Helm of Epidemiology and Public Health

In a significant advancement for maternal and public health research, Dr. Andreea Creanga, MD, PhD, has been appointed as the new Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. This announcement was made by Dean Mark T. Gladwin, who heralded Dr. Creanga as a distinguished leader with a profound influence on maternal and perinatal health.

Effective December 2025, Dr. Creanga will also become the Simon and Bessie Grollman Distinguished Professor. Her impressive credentials include currently serving as a Professor and Associate Director at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's International Center for Maternal and Newborn Health. Notably, her research merges data science with the urgent needs of maternal and newborn health, reflecting her commitment to improving health outcomes both domestically and internationally.

A Vision for the Department

Dr. Creanga’s new role will involve overseeing a department comprised of 58 faculty members, 57 staff, and numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Her leadership will be pivotal in driving several initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality and accessibility of maternal health care. Among her goals are the introduction of a new division focused on maternal health and an expansion of the Master in Public Health program at the university.

Her emphasis on integrating bioinformatics and data science into public health practices aims to foster collaboration and innovation in addressing health issues. Dr. Creanga stated that she is eager to lead these efforts and contribute to the department's legacy of impactful research and community engagement.

Improving Maternal Health Outcomes

Dr. Creanga is not new to making waves in the field of maternal health. Her contributions are backed by over $40 million in grant funding from esteemed organizations such as the NIH and the Gates Foundation. A notable project under her direction is the Maryland Maternal Health Innovation Program, which has garnered $15.8 million in funding to tackle challenges in data collection and quality improvement across Maryland's birthing hospitals.

This program aims to help eliminate preventable maternal deaths, presenting a model that could be replicated in other states. On a national scale, Dr. Creanga also leads the Maternal Health Data Innovation and Coordination Hub, further solidifying her role as a national resource in maternal health research.

A Legacy of Leadership

Before her tenure at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Creanga held a pivotal position at the CDC, where she was instrumental in maternal health surveillance and research, earning the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2013. Her career has been dedicated not just to research and innovation, but also to mentoring, having taught and guided over 40 graduate students and fellows.

Dean Gladwin praised Dr. Creanga as a visionary who has the potential to lead the department into a new era of excellence. His confidence in her vision aligns with her commitment to health equity, ensuring that all communities will benefit from improved public health policies and practices.

Looking Ahead

As Dr. Creanga prepares to take on her new responsibilities, she recognizes the expansive potential for the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. The department, celebrated for its research and educational initiatives, looks forward to her strategic vision, which promises to deepen the university's impact on both local and global health landscapes.

Dr. Creanga, who earned her medical degree from the Carol Davila University of Medicine in Romania and her PhD from Johns Hopkins, is an embodiment of commitment to advancing maternal health and raising the standards of public health education. Her leadership will not only transform academic discourse but also enhance community health, continuing a legacy of excellence at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

With such a dynamic leader at the helm, the future of maternal and public health research at the University of Maryland looks promising, underscoring the vital role of academic institutions in tackling today's pressing health challenges.