Radhika Raghunathan

Radhika Raghunathan, PhD, MSPH is an Assistant Research Professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, with departmental affiliations in Mental Health. Her research examines multilevel and longitudinal processes influencing children's social, emotional, and behavioral well-being, and antecedents of mental health disorders.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2020)
• MSPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2016)
• BS from University of Michigan (2014)

As a public health and developmental scientist, Dr. Raghunathan investigates the role of self-regulation on children's socio-emotional development, school-related outcomes, and developmental antecedents/etiology of mental health disorders. She has developed expertise in advanced statistical methods including latent variable and longitudinal modeling to understand developmental processes at individual and population levels. Her research agenda bridges developmental science with public health to inform prevention programs supporting children and families.

Her recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on child mental health, socio-emotional development, and the impact of various factors on children's well-being. The research spans diverse methodologies including longitudinal studies, latent variable analysis, and structural equation modeling, examining developmental trajectories, effects of adversity, and mechanisms of self-regulation in children across different contexts including the pandemic era.

Her notable awards include:

• 2019-2020 Donald A. Cornely Scholar, JHSPH
• 2018-2019 Bernard and Jane Guyer Scholarship Fund, JHSPH
• 2016-2020 Maternal and Child Health Training Grant, HRSA

Dr. Raghunathan has secured significant research funding, including the Maternal and Child Health Training Grant from HRSA. Her work demonstrates strong interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with the Johnson lab at Johns Hopkins, focusing on child development, mental health, and the application of advanced statistical methods to understand complex developmental processes. Her research output shows steady productivity with publications spanning 2016-2025, indicating her establishment as an independent researcher in developmental science and public health.

Her research activities span multiple interdisciplinary collaborations, with a particular emphasis on understanding how psychophysiological, behavioral, family, and environmental factors interact to shape children's development and mental health outcomes across the lifespan.