Ellen J. MacKenzie

Ellen J. MacKenzie, PhD, is the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and Dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She holds primary appointments in the Department of Health Policy and Management and a joint appointment in Biostatistics, with additional affiliations in the School of Medicine’s departments of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She is affiliated with key research centers including the Center for Global Health, the Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research (CHSOR), and the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy.

• PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (1979)
• ScM, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (1975)
• BA, Rutgers University (1972)

Dr. MacKenzie is a leading expert in injury control, outcomes research, and health services research, with a focus on trauma care systems, disability and rehabilitation, and orthopedic outcomes, particularly for extremity injuries and amputees. Her work has significantly advanced understanding of trauma system performance, the economic burden of injury, and patient-centered recovery. She developed and evaluated tools for measuring injury severity and outcomes, and pioneered self-management programs such as PALS and NextSteps for trauma survivors.

Her recent research, as reflected in her latest publications, centers on evaluating surgical outcomes in limb trauma, defining minimal clinically important differences in functional assessments, and understanding the comparative effectiveness of different amputation procedures. Her work often involves large-scale multicenter trials through the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC).

Scientific Awards & Honors:

• Elected to the National Academy of Medicine (2018)
• CDC-recognized leader in injury prevention (2012)
• Lifetime Achievement Award in Trauma Resuscitation Science, American Heart Association
• Distinguished Career Awards from APHA and American Trauma Society
• Honorary Fellow, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma
• Golden Apple for Teaching, Johns Hopkins
• Multiple awards from surgical and public health societies

Dr. MacKenzie has led major research initiatives funded by NIH and the Department of Defense, including the NIH-funded Lower Extremity Assessment Project (LEAP) and the DoD-funded Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC), which conducts over 20 multicenter trials. She has also led international training programs and helped establish DrPH programs globally. She is a dedicated mentor and academic leader, having served as department chair and senior associate dean, and is a vocal advocate for science, equity, and human rights in public health policy.

She leads the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC), a collaborative network of over 50 U.S. trauma and military treatment centers dedicated to generating evidence-based guidelines for optimal trauma care. She also directs projects such as the Fogarty International Collaborative Trauma and Injury Research Training (ICTIRT) and the Trauma Survivors Network, emphasizing global capacity building and patient-centered recovery.