JoAnne Silbert-Flagg

JoAnne Silbert-Flagg serves as Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Clinical Practice at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, where she advances maternal-child health through clinical practice, education, and scholarship. Affiliated with the JHU Center for Equity in Child and Youth Health and Wellbeing, she provides direct patient care as a pediatric nurse practitioner and certified lactation consultant at Columbia Medical Practice while leading clinical education initiatives across the institution.

Her research centers on breastfeeding promotion from pregnancy through weaning, addressing critical gaps in lactation support systems and healthcare professional education. She has pioneered innovative educational approaches including the JHUSON Breastfeeding Practice and Research course—one of only a few ILCA-approved graduate-level online lactation programs—which has trained nearly 240 students, and developed specialized lactation simulation experiences for graduate nursing students. Her work spans maternal health, newborn care, pediatric primary care, social determinants of health, and simulation-based learning, with particular focus on risk assessment for breastfeeding complications and culturally responsive care models.

Analysis of her 2019-2021 publications reveals dual scholarly trajectories: lactation science (examining breastfeeding support for late preterm infants, impact of support groups, and risk-based intervention frameworks) and nursing education reform (addressing academic dismissal processes, APRN preparation, and inclusive practices for students with service animals). These contributions demonstrate her commitment to evidence-based practice and systemic improvements in maternal-child healthcare delivery.

Her scientific accolades include:

• 2022 Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
• 2020 Maryland Higher Education Commission Certified Nurse Educator Award
• 2018 D.C. and Maryland Breastfeeding Coalitions Gold Award
• 2016 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing
• Multiple NAPNAP Breastfeeding Special Interest Group Awards (2014, 2015)
• 2014 Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing Teaching Innovation Award

As an educator, Dr. Silbert-Flagg mentors students through course instruction, simulation development, and clinical supervision. She co-teaches Community Perspectives on the Childbearing Process and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Human Lactation. Her leadership extends to co-founding Metropolitan Breastfeeding, chairing the American Academy of Nursing's Breastfeeding Expert Panel, and representing this panel on the United States Breastfeeding Committee. She also contributed to the Maryland Hospital Breastfeeding Policy Committee, which received the 2017 Team Innovation Award from the Maryland Department of Health.