Gillings School Directory
Marcia E. Herman-Giddens, DrPH
Marcia E. Herman-Giddens, DrPH
Adjunct Professor
Department of Maternal and Child Health
Marcia E. Herman-Giddens, PA, MPH, DrPH, adjunct professor of maternal and child health, has been a teacher, researcher, child advocate and adviser for almost 40 years, of which 16 included the practice of pediatrics as well as serving on the faculty at Duke University Medical Center.
She specializes in child abuse, pubertal development, and tick-borne infections. She is best known for her studies on child abuse homicides which led to new laws, and her landmark studies documenting the earlier age of onset of puberty in American children. Dr. Herman-Giddens has been a North Carolina resident for over 50 years.
Honors and Awards
Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare, various editions (World and USA)2002-2015
Hall of Fame2002, Duke University Physician Assistant Program
Appreciation Award for Contributions to Improve the Lives of Children2001, The North Carolina Pediatric Society
Service Award for Outstanding Indirect Service1997, North Carolina Association of Public Health, Maternal and Child Health Section
Who’s Who in Science and Engineering1996
Kimberly Crews Award, for Work in Child Abuse1996, North Carolina Professional Association on the Abuse of Children
Service Award, for Outstanding Service to the Health of North Carolinians1994, Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health
Analytic Skills Enhancement Fellowship1991-1992 and 1993-1994
Sigma Xi1989, The Scientific Research Society
Alumna of the Year1987, Duke University Physician Assistant Program
President's Award1983, North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants
Teaching Interests
Dr. Herman-Giddens is not currently teaching at a regular basis at UNC-Chapel Hill. She continues to teach adult education courses as a volunteer. The topic is usually ticks and tick-borne diseases in North Carolina which disproportionately affect children.
Research Activities
Her current research interests are in the area of tick-borne diseases. She continues to be involved in the review of papers on the growth and development of children, especially those using data collected in her pubertal studies on United States children.
Service Activities
From time to time, Dr. Herman-Giddens consults with groups serving abused children. More frequently, she consults and offers teaching to groups or individual professionals dealing with the current invasion of ticks and increase in tick-borne diseases in North Carolina.
Dr. Herman Giddens serves on advisory boards for grants and studies in her fields of interest. She is a reviewer for numerous national and international medical journals. She gives classes on ticks and tickborne diseases for state organizations, adult education groups, and community organizations.
Key Publications
Yale Lyme Disease Maps Are Not Accurate for the South in 2012. Herman-Giddens ME. (2012). American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 86.
Secondary Sexual Characteristics in Boys: A Study from the Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network. Herman-Giddens ME, Steffes J, Harris D, et al. (2012). Pediatrics, 130.
Tick-borne Diseases in the Southeast Need Human Studies: Lyme disease, STARI, and Beyond. Herman-Giddens ME. (2014). Ltr. Zoonoses and Public Health, 61.
The Enigmatic Pursuit of Puberty in Girls. Herman-Giddens ME. (2013). Pediatrics, 132.
Erythema Migrans-Like Lesions in the South Require Treatment Given the Current State of Knowledge. Herman-Giddens, ME. (2014). Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 14.
