Holly Wilcox

Holly Wilcox is a Professor in the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with joint appointments in the Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Johns Hopkins School of Education. She serves as President of the International Academy of Suicide Research (IASR), member of the Scientific Council and Board of Directors of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), suicide prevention consultant for the World Health Organization, and Affiliate Investigator at Australia's Centre for Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention.

• PhD, Johns Hopkins University (2003)
• MA, New York University (1998)
• BS, Northeastern University (1991)

Dr. Wilcox's research focuses on public health approaches to suicide prevention through community-based universal prevention programs, data linkage strategies, and cross-sector implementation in schools, universities, social media, and emergency departments. Her work emphasizes population-based strategies targeting suicidal behaviors and addresses health disparities through culturally adapted interventions. She leads Johns Hopkins' multidisciplinary Suicide Prevention Working Group and actively mentors students, having won the Johns Hopkins Advising, Mentoring, and Teaching Recognition Award three times.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on leveraging real-world data systems (Maryland Suicide Data Warehouse), developing ecological prevention models across multiple settings, and implementing evidence-based practices through policy mechanisms like the STANDUP Act. Her work increasingly integrates digital epidemiology (social media analysis) with traditional public health approaches while maintaining focus on vulnerable populations including adolescents, Latinx communities, and youth in child welfare systems.

• Recipient of the Andrej Marušic Suicide Research Award (2010)
• Dr. Robert Lewis Kane Memorial Award for data linkage research (2017)
• Multiple teaching excellence awards including AMTRA (2007, 2020, 2022)
• Best paper award in Archives of Suicide Research (2019)

Dr. Wilcox has secured competitive grants from NIH, WHO, and other agencies to support her research. She actively collaborates with international organizations including WHO/UNICEF and Pan American Health Organization. Her mentorship extends to numerous students through the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she teaches courses on suicide as a public health problem. She leads the Suicide Prevention Working Group that coordinates interdisciplinary research across Johns Hopkins divisions.