Harolyn M.E. Belcher, MD, MHS

Where Passion Meets Purpose: Building Generations of Public Health Leaders

Everyone, regardless of where you come from or who you are, deserves the best health possible. It’s a mission that drives Dr. Harolyn M. E. Belcher’s regional, national and international work in enhanced public health leadership training in maternal and child health.

Baltimore remains the epicenter of her efforts. “In Baltimore, we have the top schools of medicine, public health and nursing, yet the citizens of Baltimore are at the lowest level of health outcomes in the state. We must work together to improve health outcomes,” says Dr. Belcher, a leading neurodevelopmental pediatrician and research scientist.

Infographic showing that over 1,000 undergraduate and graduate scholars have been trained since 2006, there are 4 training programs for students, and 27 national partners supporting U.S. public health training. Includes icons of a teacher with students and a group with a medical symbol.

Dr. Belcher has spent nearly four decades finding answers to life- and community-transforming questions at the intersection of health and public health: How can we improve factors that promote and impact someone’s overall health and well-being? What are the social determinants of health and the conditions that influence outcomes in healthcare—such as education, housing and other foundational resources—that can be supported to optimize a person’s overall health?

The answer at the core of the Center for Excellence in Public Health Leadership is recruiting and preparing future leaders in public health, maternal and child health, infectious diseases and developmental disabilities to improve the health outcomes for all people and communities. Training and mentoring the best minds is essential to address and improve the social determinants of health.

“Public health offers powerful ways to support people with disabilities—through inclusive policies, equitable access and community advocacy. Yet, young people don’t always consider these paths when thinking about how to make a difference. We work to change that thinking,” Dr. Belcher says.

Infographic showing a tree labeled ‘Center for Excellence in Public Health Leadership’s Values Tree,’ with leaves representing values: strive for excellence, embrace change and flexibility, promote health and wellness, integrity and ethics, use creative evidence-based problem solving, open communication and active listening, and learning from each other.

Improving Maternal and Child Health Through Exceptional Training

In 2005, Dr. Belcher founded the Center for Excellence in Public Health Leadership at Kennedy Krieger to serve as the nation’s leading experiential training ground for emerging professionals in public health and related fields. Whether undergraduate, graduate or early-career, students trained by the Center immerse themselves in culturally relevant, evidence-based and health equity approaches to inform research, practice, advocacy and policies promoting optimal child brain development and improved maternal and child health.

Our exceptional public health leadership training includes:

Summer, six- or 12-month fellowship programs with a focus on advancing optimal social determinants of health, promotion of health and patient-centered evidence-informed care for those with developmental disabilities
Leading-edge public health research opportunities
Tailored coaching and mentoring in three public health leadership tracks: clinical, research and community engagement/ advocacy
Mentoring for undergraduate scholars’ entry into graduate professional schools and graduate schools in public health-related fields, and mentoring and coaching graduate, post-graduate and faculty scholars to support career success
National training network led by Kennedy Krieger to give scholars a comprehensive understanding and the tools to address the varied regional health and wellness disparities

Infographic showing that undergraduate participants in the Center for Excellence in Public Health program come from 45 of 50 U.S. states, as well as Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. Includes a U.S. map with participating states highlighted.

Beyond the distinction of training at the world-class Kennedy Krieger Institute, trainees also benefit from deeply personalized mentor coaching. A student enrolled in their home college or university may have class sizes of 300-plus students; the Kennedy Krieger training experience is career (and often life) changing. “Our innovative Enhancing Mentoring model uses one-to-one academic and career mentoring for each scholar,” explains Dr. Belcher.

Children who experience adverse conditions—such as poverty, homelessness and other social determinants of health including food and housing insecurity, hunger, violence and lack of access to healthcare—are at greater risk for developmental disabilities than their peers without those exposures. Adverse experiences have serious negative impacts on a child’s developing brain and nervous system. Through our research, education and ability we have the power to change that. What we discover will help shape brighter, healthier futures for children across the country.” – Dr. Belcher

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to working with you to create lasting change in the lives of children and families in need. Please email us at HopeHappens@KennedyKrieger.org to discuss a named endowed gift.