Faculty Feature: Jeffrey Michael
Jeffrey Michael, EdD, Distinguished Scholar at the Department of Health Policy and Management is an accomplished national and international leader in the analysis, development and implementation of programs to improve transportation safety.
How did you get into the field of injury prevention?
My first injury prevention job was at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 1988. My doctoral research was on the compensatory behaviors of older drivers, and I was excited to be doing program development work at NHTSA. However, on my first day they gave me responsibility for child passenger protection programs. There was a lot to learn, and I had to catch up quickly, but I had two toddlers at home, so it worked out well. I got to work on older driver programs 20 years later. NHTSA was a terrific place to work, and I remained there in various roles for 30 years!
Tell us about an active project that you are currently working on.
I am working with several Injury Center and Bloomberg School of Public Health colleagues and an interdisciplinary group of vehicle safety experts to facilitate successful completion of a landmark new federal safety standard that will require that every new car be equipped with technology that can prevent its operation by impaired drivers. The mandate is required by law, but its implementation requires collaboration and problem-solving by government, industry, academia, and safety advocates. Our group is bringing stakeholders together and providing a neutral forum where challenges can be discussed and pathways to success identified. There are some complex technical and policy issues to resolve, but the potential payoff is a game-changer for road safety. The technology will save more than 9,000 lives each year when fully deployed. We are excited to receive a Nexus Award that will allow us to use the new Johns Hopkins facility at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington DC as a platform for collaboration and consensus.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I am fortunate to live near my 6-year-old grandson and that he and I share interests. My Saturdays are devoted to bike-riding, driving radio-control cars, and building cardboard robots. It won’t last forever, so I’m enjoying it while I can.
If you could have brunch with any celebrity, who would you meet and what would you talk about?
How about brunch with Lewis Hamilton at the Hotel Paris on the Friday before the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix? I would love to hear about his race strategy, his thoughts on an eighth F1 Championship, and his goals following his Formula One career. I recognize that some may feel that there is a contradiction between working on road safety and enjoying motorsports, but I prefer to think of it as being open-minded! I also recognize that the probability of me having brunch with Lewis Hamilton is approximately zero.
What is your favorite part about being affiliated with the Injury Center?
Well, I get to tell people that I work at the Johns Hopkins Injury Center! That’s fantastic, isn’t it? Then they ask if I know Sue Baker, and I get to say yes!