Gallo to chair Gillings School’s epidemiology department 

December 5, 2024

The UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health is pleased to welcome Maria Gallo, PhD, as the new chair of the Department of Epidemiology, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Dr. Maria Gallo

Gallo is a three-time UNC-Chapel Hill graduate: She earned a Master of Social Work, Master of Science in Public Health and Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health. (The latter two degrees are from the Gillings School’s Department of Maternal and Child Health and Department of Epidemiology, respectively.) Her most recent professional role was as associate dean of research and professor of epidemiology at The Ohio State University’s College of Public Health.

Specifically, she is a sexual and reproductive health epidemiologist with a focus on the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies, as well as the reduction of risky sexual behaviors.

“We are excited by the interdisciplinary expertise that Dr. Gallo will bring to the Gillings School and our Department of Epidemiology,” says Nancy Messonnier, MD, dean and Bryson Distinguished Professor in Public Health at the Gillings School. “For years, she has worked as a connector across social work, arts and sciences, and maternal and child health, and she has a deep appreciation for the collaborative nature of public health.”

In the course of her career, Gallo has been a senior service fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the division of reproductive health. At Ohio State, she previously was the chair of the division of epidemiology and served on the leadership team of their National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-funded population center, which has the mission of nurturing population health research across the campus.

“I have deep gratitude for all the mentors and guidance I received while at UNC,” she says. “As an alum, I recognize how influential the research is at Carolina and at the Gillings School, and I look forward to elevating that work every day. I also value the key role that the department holds in educating the next generation of epidemiologists and shaping the future of the field.”

Gallo succeeds former chair Til Stürmer, MD, PhD, Nancy A. Dreyer Distinguished Professor of epidemiology, who returned to the Gillings faculty after six years in the role. Wayne Rosamond, PhD, professor of epidemiology, distinguished himself as interim chair during the search for the department’s next permanent leader.

“I am looking forward to seeing Dr. Gallo at the helm of our epidemiology department, which is a national leader in both research and the training of epidemiologists at the master’s and doctoral level,” Stürmer shares. “She will bring her impressive administrative experience in academic settings to an already strong department and will continue to grow her outstanding research portfolio. I wish her all the best and am excited to welcome her in January.”

“I feel fortunate to work in public health — a field that values interdisciplinary, collaborative research,” Gallo adds. “I get to partner with experts in different fields like biology, sociology, psychology, design and medicine to study how best to promote sexual and reproductive health. I can’t imagine a more interesting, meaningful job than this.”

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