Departmental Affiliations
School of Medicine
Joint
School of Education
Joint
Robert Blum, MD, PhD, MPH, studies adolescent health worldwide, with a focus on gender socialization in early adolescence and how it shapes health and wellness.
Contact Info
2013 E. Monument Street
Baltimore
Maryland
21205
US
410-955-2303
Research Interests
adolescent sexuality; Global Early Adolescent Study; international adolescent health; urban health
Additional Links
Experiences & Accomplishments
Education
MD
Howard University
1973
PhD
University of Minnesota
MPH
University of Minnesota
Overview
From 2004 to 2018, Robert Wm. Blum, MD, MPH, PhD, was the William H. Gates, Sr. Professor and Chair of the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has edited two books, and has written over 300 journal articles, book chapters and special reports.
In July 2007, Dr. Blum was named the Director of the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute from which he stepped down in July, 2019. He is a Past-President of the Society for Adolescent Medicine; has served on the American Board of Pediatrics; was a charter member of the Sub-Board of Adolescent Medicine is a past chair of the Guttmacher Institute Board of Directors and served as chair of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Adolescent Health and Development. In 2006, The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine elected Dr. Blum into membership. He is a consultant to The World Bank, UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) where recently he authored the guidance on adolescent pregnancy, as well as the World Health Organization where he has served on the Technical Advisory Group of the Child and Adolescent Health Department as well as the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group of the Human Reproductive Program.
In July 2007, Dr. Blum was named the Director of the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute from which he stepped down in July, 2019. He is a Past-President of the Society for Adolescent Medicine; has served on the American Board of Pediatrics; was a charter member of the Sub-Board of Adolescent Medicine is a past chair of the Guttmacher Institute Board of Directors and served as chair of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Adolescent Health and Development. In 2006, The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine elected Dr. Blum into membership. He is a consultant to The World Bank, UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) where recently he authored the guidance on adolescent pregnancy, as well as the World Health Organization where he has served on the Technical Advisory Group of the Child and Adolescent Health Department as well as the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group of the Human Reproductive Program.
Honors & Awards
2016- University of Minnesota Outstanding Alumnus Award from the School of Public Health;
2014- American Public Health Association’s Martha May Eliot Award honoring “extraordinary service to mothers and children [and adolescents]”;
2014- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Golden Apple Award for Teaching;
2012- Zion Baptist Church Baltimore, Community Service Award;
2010- Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s Vince Hutchins Award “…to a lifetime of distinguished service to improve the health of MCH populations”;
2009- Lifetime Achievement Award, American Medical Student Association;
2006- Elected Member, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine;
2005- International Association of Adolescent Health, Founder’s Award;
2005- American Medical Student Association Lifetime Achievement Award;
2005- Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society;
2005- Best Doctors in America;
2004- Inaugural William H. Gates, Sr. Professor & Chair, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health;
2002- National Associate, National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council;
2000- Plenary Speaker, White House Conference on Adolescents;
1998- Herbert L. Needleman Award for "Scientific Achievement and Courageous Advocacy for Children” American Public Health Association;
1993- Society for Adolescent Medicine, Visiting Professorship Award;
1993- Society for Adolescent Medicine, Outstanding Achievement Award;
1977/78- Bush Leadership Fellowship;
1973- The Barge Award in English, Lafayette College;
1971/73- McKelvey Distinguished Scholar's Program, Lafayette College;
2014- American Public Health Association’s Martha May Eliot Award honoring “extraordinary service to mothers and children [and adolescents]”;
2014- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Golden Apple Award for Teaching;
2012- Zion Baptist Church Baltimore, Community Service Award;
2010- Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s Vince Hutchins Award “…to a lifetime of distinguished service to improve the health of MCH populations”;
2009- Lifetime Achievement Award, American Medical Student Association;
2006- Elected Member, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine;
2005- International Association of Adolescent Health, Founder’s Award;
2005- American Medical Student Association Lifetime Achievement Award;
2005- Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society;
2005- Best Doctors in America;
2004- Inaugural William H. Gates, Sr. Professor & Chair, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health;
2002- National Associate, National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council;
2000- Plenary Speaker, White House Conference on Adolescents;
1998- Herbert L. Needleman Award for "Scientific Achievement and Courageous Advocacy for Children” American Public Health Association;
1993- Society for Adolescent Medicine, Visiting Professorship Award;
1993- Society for Adolescent Medicine, Outstanding Achievement Award;
1977/78- Bush Leadership Fellowship;
1973- The Barge Award in English, Lafayette College;
1971/73- McKelvey Distinguished Scholar's Program, Lafayette College;
Select Publications
MOST RECENT PUBLICATIONS
- Blum, R. Li, M., Naranjo Rivera, G., 2019 Measuring Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) among Young Adolescents in a Global Experience, J. Adol. Health, 65:86-91.
- Blum, R. 2019, Gender Norm Transformative Programming: Where are we Now? Where Do we Need to be? J. Adol. Health, January, 2020.
- Blum R., Boyden, J., Erulkar, A., Kaberu, C., Wilopo, S. Achieving Gender Equality Requires Placing Adolescents at the Center , J. Adol. Health, 64(6): 691-693. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X19301107
- Blum, R., Sheehy, G. Basu, S., El-Gibaly, O., Li, M. The Use of Vignettes to measure gender equality in relationships among young adolescents: methodological considerations, PLOS One, June 27, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218863
- Blum, R. Pasha, O., Rao, K, Natiq, K Li, M. Coming of Age in the Shadow of the Taliban: Education, gender equality and the Future, J. Adol. Health education, gender equality and the Future of the Taliban, J. Adol. Health, Published on-line in advance of journal (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.09.014) .
Projects
Survey of Adolescence in Youth in Vietnam
Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Policies for Latin America
Chililab
Global Early Adolescent Study-Longitudinal Phase
Three-City Asian Study of Adolescents and Youth: Hanoi, Shanghai, and Taipei
Demographic Epidemiologic Surveillance Site
Adolescent Health in the time of COVID
The Global Early Adolescent Study