Center & Institute Affiliations
Danielle German, PhD '09, MPH, conducts research to understand and address the social context of health behavior and well-being among marginalized populations.
Contact Info
624 N. Broadway, Hampton House 753
Baltimore
Maryland
21205
US
(410) 502-5385
Research Interests
Social determinants of health; Mixed methods; Drug use; HIV/AIDS; Mental health; LGBTQ health; Harm reduction; Social stability; Social networks; Rats
Experiences & Accomplishments
Education
PhD
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2009
MPH
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
1998
BA
Rutgers University
1996
Overview
Dr. German (she/her) directs the HBS doctoral program and teaches the JHSPH doctoral seminar in mixed methods research. She directs the JHSPH Certificate Program in LGBTQ Public Health and coordinates the JHSPH LGBTQ Working Group. Her research draws from interdisciplinary perspectives and uses qualitative and quantitative methods to understand and address the social and structural context of health behavior and disease transmission, with particular emphasis on applied research related to drug use, HIV transmission, and mental health among marginalized populations in Baltimore and throughout Maryland. She has a long history of behavioral research, harm reduction program experience, and collaboration with community organizations and health departments. Current research interests include: social network resources, social stability, and HIV transmission; individual and community level implications of traumatic and stigmatizing experiences; and implementation science to inform strategies for addressing social determinants of health.
As Principal Investigator for BESURE, the Baltimore arm of CDC’s National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Project, Dr. German oversees annual community-based mixed methods data collection to measure prevalence and trends over time in HIV, health and social issues, health-related behaviors and access to services among people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, and individuals at increased risk of heterosexual HIV transmission, as well as a complementary set of projects focused on transgender health (CLEAR: Communities Leveraging Evidence for Action and Research). As Co-PI for the Statewide Ethnographic Assessment of Drug Use and Services (SEADS), a large qualitative study designed to understand drug use, barriers to service utilization, and potential for harm reduction expansion across Maryland, Dr. German oversaw data collection among people who use drugs and stakeholders across the 18 Western, Central, and Eastern Shore counties. Publicly accessible SEADS reports are available here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zxmJNs1Pa5cWMBf7m92zhkHUykbTK1K2
As Principal Investigator for BESURE, the Baltimore arm of CDC’s National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Project, Dr. German oversees annual community-based mixed methods data collection to measure prevalence and trends over time in HIV, health and social issues, health-related behaviors and access to services among people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, and individuals at increased risk of heterosexual HIV transmission, as well as a complementary set of projects focused on transgender health (CLEAR: Communities Leveraging Evidence for Action and Research). As Co-PI for the Statewide Ethnographic Assessment of Drug Use and Services (SEADS), a large qualitative study designed to understand drug use, barriers to service utilization, and potential for harm reduction expansion across Maryland, Dr. German oversaw data collection among people who use drugs and stakeholders across the 18 Western, Central, and Eastern Shore counties. Publicly accessible SEADS reports are available here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zxmJNs1Pa5cWMBf7m92zhkHUykbTK1K2
Honors & Awards
Excellence in Teaching, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020: Doctoral Seminar in Mixed Methods for Public Health Research
Excellence in Teaching, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2019, 2020: MHS Seminar in Social Factors in Health
Johns Hopkins University SOURCE Service-Learning Community Fellow, 2016
HBS Student Organization Teaching Award, 2015 & 2017, awarded twice per year by student vote
Margaret Bright and Herman Binder Fund Award for devotion to students in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society, 2012
Delta Omega Society, 2009
Teaching Assistant Recognition Award, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Student Association, 2007
Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Pre-Doctoral Training Award, National Institute of Mental Health, 2005-2009
Sir Arthur Newsholme Scholarship for Doctoral Training, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, 2004-2008
Excellence in Teaching, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2019, 2020: MHS Seminar in Social Factors in Health
Johns Hopkins University SOURCE Service-Learning Community Fellow, 2016
HBS Student Organization Teaching Award, 2015 & 2017, awarded twice per year by student vote
Margaret Bright and Herman Binder Fund Award for devotion to students in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society, 2012
Delta Omega Society, 2009
Teaching Assistant Recognition Award, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Student Association, 2007
Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Pre-Doctoral Training Award, National Institute of Mental Health, 2005-2009
Sir Arthur Newsholme Scholarship for Doctoral Training, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, 2004-2008
Select Publications
Select frequently cited publications
- Poteat, T., German, D., Kerrigan, D. (2013). Managing Uncertainty: A Grounded Theory of Stigma in Transgender Health Care Encounters. Social Science and Medicine, 84: 22-9. PMID: 23517700
- Latkin, C., German, D., Vlahov, D., Galea, S. (2013). Neighborhoods and HIV: A social ecological approach to prevention and care. American Psychologist, 68(4):210-24. PMID: 23688089
- German, D. & Latkin, C.A. (2011). Social stability and HIV risk behavior: Evaluating the role of accumulated vulnerability. AIDS and Behavior 16(1):168-78. PMID: 21259043
- German, D., Davey, M.A., & Latkin, C.A. (2007). Residential transience and HIV risk behaviors among injection drug users. AIDS and Behavior, 11(6 Suppl): 21-30. PMID: 17486437
- German, D., Sifakis, F., Maulsby, C., Towe, V., Flynn, C.P., Latkin, C., Celentano, D.D., Hauck, H., & Holtgrave, D.R. (2011). Persistently high prevalence of HIV and unrecognized infection among men who have sex with men in Baltimore: the BESURE study. JAIDS, 57(1):77-87. PMID: 21297479
Projects
The Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research (JHU CFAR): German, Danielle
Social networks, social resources, and HIV transmission
Social dynamics of HIV transmission in Baltimore
Incorporating biomarkers to improve behavioral data collection and monitor the Baltimore HIV epidemic
Patient Centered Approaches to Collect Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Information in the Emergency Department: The EQUALITY study
Statewide Ethnographic Assessment of Drug Use and Services (SEADS Project)
BESURE Study: HIV Behavioral Surveillance in the Baltimore region
Simulation of HIV Epidemic among Baltimore’s MSM
Exploring HIV risk and social support among high-risk sexual minority women (HR-SMW)
CDC National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Project (BESURE): Baltimore Site
Transgender HIV Behavioral Surveillance