Julie R Gaither

Julie R Gaither, PhD, MPH, BSN is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics (General Pediatrics) and the Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, Yale School of Medicine. She is actively engaged in research on the opioid epidemic’s impact on children and vulnerable populations.

• Education: PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health (Yale University, 2015), MPH (Boston University, 2005), BSN (Georgia Southern University, 1990)

Dr. Gaither's research focuses on pediatric opioid-related morbidity and mortality, health disparities, and injury prevention. She pioneered the first national studies on pediatric hospitalizations and deaths from opioids, shifting the narrative from adult-centric overdose data to include children. Her work examines racial disparities in opioid therapy, firearm injuries in youth, and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.

Her recent publications (2022–2024) highlight trends in pediatric fentanyl deaths, readmissions for neonatal abstinence syndrome, and fatal opioid poisonings in children. These studies reveal increasing risks and inform prevention strategies. Her research spans epidemiology, public health, toxicology, and forensic medicine, with a strong emphasis on policy-relevant findings.

• National Research Service Award from the NIH

Dr. Gaither leads the Kids in Danger of Opioids (KIDO) Lab and is affiliated with the FRESH Collaborative and the Janeway Society. She has secured funding from NIDA, NICHD, and private foundations. She frequently collaborates with researchers such as Amy Justice, Kirsha Gordon, and Joseph Goulet. While no students are listed, her work has significant implications for public health policy and pediatric care.