Injury Researcher Accepting Calderone Prize Next Week
Susan P. Baker, considered a pioneer in injury prevention, will receive one of public health's most important honors May 6 at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.
Susan P. Baker, MPH, an epidemiologist and professor of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, will accept a top prize in public health on May 6. Baker, a founder of the Bloomberg School's Center for Injury Research and Policy and an influential voice for injury prevention in America for decades, will receive the Frank A. Calderone Prize and give a speech at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.
Baker's research helped to bring about laws that now make child safety seats mandatory in every state and also graduated driver's licensing programs, which are used in many states. She has focused on transportation safety, carbon monoxide poisoning, house fires, workplace fatalities, and drownings, among others.
Following her speech, Baker will join New York City Commissioner of Health Dr. Thomas Farley and Mailman Dean Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, for a panel discussion of the practical applications of Baker's work.
"I am truly honored by this extraordinary recognition," Baker said in the Bloomberg School's news release announcing the award. "When I started in this field many years ago, injury was hardly considered a public health issue, despite being one of the leading causes of death and disability. I feel very fortunate to have had so many opportunities to build a career in injury prevention, to train so many outstanding injury professionals, and to have been able to influence real policy changes to save lives. While we have collectively come so far, there is more work to be done. That is why I hope this prize will now draw even more attention to the burden of injury and encourage more young leaders to enter the field."
The Calderone Prize in Public Health is overseen by the Mailman School and presented to an individual who has made a transformational contribution to the field of public health. This is the first time it has gone to an injury control researcher. The list of previous recipients includes the late Dr. Allan Rosenfield, dean emeritus of the Mailman School; D.A. Henderson, MD, MPH, distinguished scholar and professor of Public Health and Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and dean emeritus of the Bloomberg School; and C. Everett Koop, MD, ScD, a former U.S. surgeon general.
"Sue Baker is a true pioneer," said Fried. "She not only created a new field of academic inquiry in public health; she ensured that her research would have practical application and underpin a transformation in public policy. The Mailman School is proud to bestow the Calderone Prize on Professor Baker."
The presentation and panel discussion will take place at 11 a.m. in the Mailman School's eighth floor auditorium at 722 West 168th St.