Director, Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy; Deans Sommer and Klag Distinguished Professor of the Practice in Public Health Advocacy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Shelley Hearne has spent over three decades driving change in public health, safety, and environmental sustainability. She works with policymakers, foundations, businesses, and nonprofits to address critical health challenges, from pandemic response to reducing preventable risks. She is the Deans Sommer and Klag Distinguished Professor of the Practice for Public Health Advocacy and director of the Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy at Johns Hopkins. She also serves as executive director of the Forsythia Foundation. Previously, she was the founding president of CityHealth, executive director of the Big Cities Health Coalition, and managing director of the Pew Health Group. Dr. Hearne founded Trust for America’s Health, a national advocacy organization focused on epidemic prevention and public health protection. She has held leadership roles at the Pew Environmental Health Commission, NJ DEP Office of Pollution Prevention, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. She has also chaired APHA’s Executive Board and served as vice president of the Council on Education for Public Health. She co-authored Policy Engagement as part of the Strategic Skills for Public Health Practice series and has testified before Congress on bioterrorism, pandemic preparedness, and public health funding. She has contributed to National Academy of Sciences committees, chaired accreditation site visits for top public health schools, and served a decade on Japan’s Radiation Effect Research Foundation. Dr. Hearne is also a Trustee at Bowdoin College, where she chairs the Committee on Inclusion.