Alain Labrique

Dr. Alain B. Labrique is a renowned figure in the fields of international health, epidemiology, and digital health. Here are some key points about his background and work:

Academic and Professional Positions

• Dr. Labrique is currently a Professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, although he was previously an Associate Professor in the same department.146
• He holds joint appointments in Epidemiology, Health Sciences Informatics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and other departments such as Community-Public Health (Nursing) and Bioengineering Innovation and Design (Engineering).145
• As of September 2022, he serves as the Director for the Department of Digital Health and Innovation at the World Health Organization (WHO).3

Research Focus

• Dr. Labrique's research is centered on infectious diseases, particularly in resource-limited settings. He focuses on maternal and neonatal mortality, the interface of micronutrient deficiency and maternal/infant mortality, and the prevention of nosocomial infections through various interventions.145
• He has a significant interest in leveraging mobile and digital technologies (mHealth) to improve public health outcomes, including data collection, promoting healthy behaviors, and optimizing the quality and timeliness of health services.4

Global Health Contributions

• Dr. Labrique is the founding director of the Johns Hopkins University Global mHealth Initiative and has led research in over 30 countries. He has been recognized as one of the Top 11 mHealth Innovators in 2011 by the Rockefeller and UN Foundations.34
• He has served as the chair of the WHO Digital Health Guidelines Development Group and has been a technical advisor to several global health agencies and Ministries of Health.34

Educational Background

• Dr. Labrique earned his B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his M.H.S. and Ph.D. in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.124

Innovations and Awards

• Dr. Labrique is the inventor of several technologies, including the Portable Field Dark Adaptometer, a non-invasive method for vitamin A assessment. He has multiple patents pending.14
• He has received several awards, including the Johns Hopkins University President’s Award for Excellence in Advising, the Excellence in International Public Health Practice award from the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a Distinguished Alumnus Award from Johns Hopkins University.14

Publications and Public Engagement

• Dr. Labrique has nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications and has given over 85 public lectures and invited keynotes on the topic of Digital Health.4
• He is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford Open Digital Health journal.3