Departmental Affiliations
Lorraine T. Dean, ScD, is a social epidemiologist who examines how privilege and disadvantage influence chronic disease, and teaches an award-winning course on the topic.
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Research Interests
social epidemiology; social determinants; cancer survivorship; HIV/AIDS; disparities; privilege & health
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Experiences & Accomplishments
As a social epidemiologist, I research privilege and health -- that is, how individual- and neighborhood-level social and economic factors contribute to health inequities and health outcomes for those managing chronic disease. Methodologically my focus is on using multi-level modeling, GIS, propensity scores, and econometric methods. I teach a national award-winning service-learning course on privilege and health as part of the social epidemiology curriculum at Hopkins. As a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Scholar, I have examined the relationship between guaranteed income and health, and am co-lead of the national Guaranteed Income and Health Consortium. I have been PI of an NIH R01 on structural racism and hypertension, PI on two NIH R21s on economic barriers to HIV PrEP use, an F31 and K01 to explore social determinants of breast cancer screening and survivorship outcomes, and PI on a Fulbright Grant to explore women’s perceptions of self-breast exams in Venezuela.
Prior to my time in academia, I led a $13 million tobacco policy and control initiative in Philadelphia, PA. This policy role has had lasting impact on the City of Philadelphia, resulting in 40,000 fewer smokers and permanent legislative changes affecting 1.5 million Philadelphians. Through that policy work, my efforts have had impact by moving the needle toward better health for populations and I am returned to academia to be part of building the evidence base for chronic disease policies and programs. Because of this background, I bring a multi-disciplinary research approach, setting forth a new path to explore how social factors shape life for survivors of chronic disease.
Honors & Awards
- 2024 Excellence in Baltimore Public Health Practice, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- 2022 Sherman A. James Diverse and Inclusive Epidemiology Award, Society for Epidemiologic Research
- 2021 Faculty Innovation: Gustave J Martin Award, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- 2021 Advising, Mentoring and Teaching Recognition Award (AMTRA), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- 2020-2024 Excellence in Teaching Award, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- 2020 Distinguished Senior Investigator, AcademyHealth Disparities Interest Group
- 2020 Delta Omega Society, Alpha Chapter
- 2019 Delta Omega Award for Innovative Public Health Curriculum, Delta Omega National Office
- 2019 Diversity Recognition Award, Johns Hopkins University Diversity Leadership Council
- 2018 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
- 2017 Faculty Innovation Award, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
- 2015 Outstanding Investigator Award, Susan G. Komen Society
- 2015 Community Impact Award, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc Lancaster Alumni Chapter
- 2009 John Piersol McCaskey Distinguished Alumni Award
- 2005 Grantee, J. William Fulbright Program
Select Publications
Representative first-authored publications (ordered earliest to most recent)
Dean LT, Hillier A, Chau H, Subramanian SV, Williams DR, Kawachi, I. Can you party your way to better health? A Propensity Score Analysis of Block Parties and Health. Social Science & Medicine. Elsevier, 138: 201-209, August 2015. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.06.019. PMCID: PMC4500646 PMID: 26117555
Dean LT & Moss SL, McCarthy AM, Armstrong KA. Healthcare system distrust, physician trust, and patient discordance with adjuvant breast cancer treatment recommendations. Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. [Online first] September 2017. PMID: 28971987 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-17-0479
Dean LT, Montgomery MC, Raifman J, Nunn A, Bertrand T, Almonte A, Chan PA. The affordability of providing STD services at a safety-net clinic. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. pii: S0749-3797(17)30748-1, January 2018. PMID: 29397280 PMCID: PMC5860994 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.12.016
Dean LT, Moss SL, Ransome Y, Frasso-Jaramillo L, Zhang Y, Visvanathan K, Nicholas LH, Schmitz KH. “It Still Affects Our Economic Situation": A Mixed Methods Analysis of Long-Term Economic Burden due to Breast Cancer and Lymphedema. Journal of Supportive Care in Cancer. [Online first: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00520-018-4418-4], 19 August 2018. PMID: 30121786 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-018-4418-4
Dean LT, Knapp EA, Snguon S, Ransome Y, Qato DM, Visvanathan K. Consumer Credit, Chronic Disease, and Risk Behaviors. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. [online first: https://jech.bmj.com/content/early/2018/10/15/jech-2018-211160.long], October 2018. PMID: 30322882 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2018-211160