Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Robert Black, MD, MPH, is an epidemiologist who researches maternal and child health and nutrition in low- and middle-income countries to improve survival, health, and development.
Contact Info
Research Interests
International health; diarrhea; evaluation; global health; infectious diseases; malaria, malnutrition; pneumonia; health policy; zinc
Experiences & Accomplishments
The World Health Organization estimates that two-thirds of the 5 million child deaths in developing countries each year are directly caused by infectious diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria and that undernutrition contributes to nearly half of child deaths. Robert E. Black, M.D., M.P.H. has focused his research and professional activities on reducing the number of these unnecessary deaths. He is conducting epidemiologic research on the interaction of infectious diseases and nutrition, clinical and community-based trials of new vaccines to prevent childhood infectious diseases, and trials of nutritional interventions to reduce infectious disease morbidity and mortality, as well as improve growth and development. He is also assisting with implementation of disease control and nutrition programs in developing countries and conducting evaluations of their effectiveness and mortality impact. His other interests are related to the use of evidence in policy and programs, estimation of the burden of disease, development of research capacity and strengthening of public health training.
Honors & Awards
1969 Hoffman-LaRoche Award
1971 Dean's Award-Hahnemann Medical College
1977 Alexander D. Langmuir Prize (Alumni Award of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta)
2001 E.V. McCollum International Lectureship in Nutrition (17th Lecture)
2002 Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academies
2005 E.H. Christophersen Award, American Academy of Pediatrics
2006 Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health Research Ambassador (2006-Present)
2010 Programme for Global Paediatric Research Award for Outstanding Contributions to Global Child Health
2010 Prince Mahidol Award in Public Health
2011 UCLA Alumni Hall of Fame, The Lester Breslow Lifetime Achievement Award
2011 Canada Gairdner Award in Global Health
2011 Raulin Award from International Society for Trace Element Research in Humans
2012 Heritage Award, Johns Hopkins University
2016 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award
2018 Robert Suskind and Leslie Lewinter-Suskind Pediatric Nutrition Lifetime Achievement Award
2019 John Walker-Smith Oration, Commonwealth Association for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Select Publications
Selected Recent Publications
Black RE, Victora C, Walker SP, Bhutta ZA, Christian P, De Onis M, Ezzati M, Grantham-McGregor, Katz J, Martorell R, Uauy R and the Maternal and Child Nutrition Study Group. Maternal and Child Nutrition 1. Maternal and child undernutrition and overweight in low-and middle-income countries. Lancet 382(9890): 427-51, 2013.
Black RE, Levin C, Walker N, Chou D, Liu L, Temmerman T for the DCP3 RMNCH Authors Group. Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health: Key messages from disease control priorities 3rd edition. The Lancet 388: 2811-24, 2016.
Liu L, Oza S, Hogan D, Chu Y, Perin J, Zhu J, Lawn J, Cousens S, Mathers C, Black RE. Global, regional, and national causes of under-5 mortality in 2000–15: An updated systematic analysis with implications for the sustainable development goals. The Lancet, doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31593-8, 2016.
Black RE, Fontaine O, Lamberti L, Bhan M, Huicho L, El Arifeen S, Masanja H, Fischer Walker C, Kesteela Mengestu T, Pearson L, Young M, Orobaton N, Chu Y, Jackson B, Bateman M, Walker N, Merson M. Drivers of the reduction in childhood diarrhea mortality1980-2015 and interventions to eliminate preventable diarrhea deaths by 2030. J Glob Health, 9(2), doi: 10.7189/jogh.09.020801, 2019.
Bhutta, ZA, Akseer N, Keats EC, Vaivada T, Baker S, Horton SE, Katz J, Menon P, Piwoz E, Shekar M, Victora C, Black R. How countries can reduce child stunting at scale: lessons from exemplars countries. Am J Clin Nutr, 112(2);894S-904S https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa153, 2020.