Craig Fryer

Craig Fryer, Dr.P.H., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland's School of Public Health. His research focuses on health inequities, particularly racial and ethnic disparities in substance use among youth and young adults, with an emphasis on tobacco and marijuana co-use. He employs mixed methods and community-engaged approaches, emphasizing respectful recruitment and retention of underrepresented communities in research. Dr. Fryer leads a National Cancer Institute-funded K01 career development award examining nicotine dependence among urban African American youth and collaborates on multiple grants addressing small cigar/cigarillo use and risk perceptions.

Education: Dr.P.H. in Sociomedical Sciences (Columbia University, 2006), M.P.H. in Behavioral and Community Health Sciences (University of Pittsburgh, 1997), B.S. in Clinical Nutrition (Case Western Reserve University, 1992).

Research interests include Black men’s health, racism and health, and methodological innovations in mixed methods. He teaches courses on health behavior, Black men’s health, and multicultural population health. Notable awards include the George F. Kramer Practitioner of the Year Award (2014) and a fellowship in the Elevate Program (2017).

Key grants and awards include NIH/NIMHD funding for health disparities research and FDA/NCI support for studies on cigarillo use. His work bridges public health practice and policy, with a focus on vulnerable populations' health equity challenges.