Danielle German

Danielle German, PhD, MPH, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She serves as Vice-Chair for Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity in her department and leads the LGBTQ Public Health Certificate Program. Her research is centered on the social and structural determinants of health among marginalized populations in Baltimore and across Maryland.

• PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2009
• MPH, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1998
• BA, Rutgers University, 1996

Dr. German’s research focuses on drug use, harm reduction, HIV/AIDS, mental health, LGBTQ health, and social networks. She employs mixed methods—qualitative and quantitative—to explore how social stability, stigma, and structural factors influence health behavior and disease transmission. Her work emphasizes community-engaged and applied research, often in partnership with public health departments and community organizations.

Her research portfolio includes major surveillance and implementation science projects such as BESURE (Baltimore’s CDC National HIV Behavioral Surveillance) and SEADS (Statewide Ethnographic Assessment of Drug Use and Services). Recent publications highlight trends in xylazine exposure, polysubstance use, HIV stigma, transgender health, and mental health among sexual minority women. Her work increasingly integrates social network interventions and telemedicine to improve access to care in underserved areas.

• Excellence in Teaching Award (2014–2017, 2019–2022)
• Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Pre-Doctoral Training Award (2005–2009)
• Sir Arthur Newsholme Scholarship (2004–2008)
• Delta Omega Society (2009)
• Johns Hopkins SOURCE Service-Learning Community Fellow (2016)

Dr. German has extensive experience mentoring students and training early-career researchers through federally funded programs. She has served as Principal Investigator and Co-PI on multiple grants focused on behavioral surveillance, harm reduction, and health equity. Her leadership in mixed methods research and LGBTQ health has positioned her as a key figure in public health research and education. She is actively involved in community-based research teams and collaborates widely across disciplines and institutions.

She leads or contributes to several research labs and teams, including the Lighthouse Studies at Peer Point Center for Public Health and Human Rights, the Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research (JHU CFAR), and the Mixed Methods Research Training Program for the Health Sciences. These teams focus on interdisciplinary, community-responsive research to address structural barriers to health.