Bazzano joins Gillings School as new maternal and child health chair

September 5, 2024

Dr. Alessandra Bazzano stands by the Rosenau Hall sign on the GIllings School campus.

The UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health is pleased to welcome Alessandra Bazzano, PhD, MPH, as the new chair of the Department of Maternal and Child Health (MCH), effective September 1.

Bazzano was previously an associate professor of social, behavioral and population sciences at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She has also served as the director of Tulane’s Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health, one of only 13 centers of excellence in the United States.

“We are excited by all that Dr. Bazzano will bring to the Gillings School and MCH,” said Nancy Messonnier, MD, dean and Bryson Distinguished Professor in Public Health. “Her path-breaking research recognizes how technology is changing behavior, how generative AI can be used to analyze data on social determinants of health, and how to use these new technologies to improve maternal health equity and outcomes.”

Bazzano applies an interdisciplinary lens to research, teaching and service, informed by collaborations across professional boundaries. She has served as Carnegie Corporation of New York Professor of Social Entrepreneurship through the Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking, supporting research on public health and equity-centered design thinking.

“Joining the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the Gillings School is an honor,” said Bazzano. “The rich legacy of leadership in this historic department at UNC-Chapel Hill is inspiring, and I am excited to support our talented faculty, staff and students to advance a shared commitment to equity, innovation and impact. MCH is a pivotal public health discipline, and the department is tackling some of the most pressing challenges in reproductive, maternal, LGBTQ+, child and adolescent health.”

Bazzano succeeds former chair Carolyn Halpern, PhD, who retired this summer after more than 40 years of service to the state of North Carolina as a maternal and child health scholar. Halpern served as MCH chair from 2015 to 2024.

“I’m thrilled by Alessandra’s appointment to lead the department,” said Halpern. “Her collaborative style, her focus on social innovation, and the potential of AI to foster and enhance maternal health equity are necessary skills in today’s environment. She brings a wonderful perspective and skill set to the role, and I wish her continued success.”

Welcome to the Gillings School family, Dr. Bazzano!

Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.