Meike

Jill

Schleiff

,

DrPH

I grew up on a sheep farm in rural West Virginia, USA. This upbringing in a tightly-knit community provided a set of values that have shaped my work around the world: helping others, building trust, and creating environments where people can learn and thrive.
For over a decade, I founded and ran a nonprofit organization in Haiti. In 2020, I chose to transition several projects to partners and close this nonprofit in order to carry forward capacity strengthening projects at a global scale; I continue to serve as a mentor and board member to colleagues and partners in Haiti.
I have also developed and taught courses in Haiti, India, Uganda, Ethiopia, and beyond on a range of public health and leadership topics as well as to global audiences via online platforms. I have been able to collaborate with a wide range of colleagues and divisions at Johns Hopkins as well as with leaders around the world to reach frontline workers, health systems leaders, and young professionals.
My research portfolio focuses on primary health care and community health systems including a number of projects related to community health workers (CHW). I have designed and led a number of literature reviews, qualitative and mixed-methods evaluations of CHW programs, and have been involved with ongoing monitoring and evaluation as well as implementation research initiatives on these topics.
Building capacity is at the center of my motivation for being a public health leader. This focus is one I have developed by observing, mentoring, and collaborating with an exceptionally diverse and skilled set of colleagues and students from around the world. I am particularly dedicated to advancing opportunities for women, given the immense role women play to improving health and the many barriers they must often overcome to do this. I continue to be humbled by their dedication, work, and insights into complex public health issues, and I have dedicated my career to finding ways to support and augment this work.