Bizu Gelaye

Bizu Gelaye, Ph.D., serves as an Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and as an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. His academic appointments bridge epidemiological and psychiatric research, focusing on maternal health, mental health in global contexts, and the biological mechanisms linking stress to health outcomes.

Dr. Gelaye's research interests span maternal and perinatal epidemiology, psychiatric epidemiology, mental health in low and middle-income countries, trauma and PTSD, biomarker research (particularly hair cortisol measurements), preterm birth research, and genetic studies of mental illness. His work often examines the intersection of biological, psychological, and social determinants of health, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable populations in Africa and other resource-limited settings.

His publication record reveals strong trends in global mental health research, particularly focused on Africa, with numerous multi-country studies examining psychosis, depression, and trauma across diverse populations. A significant portion of his work investigates hair cortisol as a biomarker for stress exposure and its relationship to pregnancy outcomes, particularly preterm birth. His research also prominently features cross-cultural validation of mental health assessment tools and examination of mental health disparities in underrepresented populations.

Dr. Gelaye has secured substantial research funding as Principal Investigator on multiple NIH grants, including R01HD102342 examining the intergenerational impact of maternal trauma history on preschoolers' behavioral health outcomes, R21MH128985 investigating maternal hair cortisol concentrations and prenatal psychopathology, and R21HD102822 studying the role of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation in preterm birth. He also serves as Co-Investigator and Training Program Lead on the Delta Mississippi Center of Excellence in Maternal Health (U54HD113238) and as Co-Investigator on the Powering Genetic Discovery for Severe Mental Illness project (U01MH125045).

His collaborative network spans numerous institutions globally, with frequent co-authorship with researchers from Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, and multiple African institutions. His work demonstrates a strong commitment to addressing mental health disparities and advancing methodological approaches for studying mental health in diverse global contexts.