AJPH welcomes new editor-in-chief

Date: June 5, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Media Relations

Faculty Associate Denys T. Lau, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, will lead the journal beginning in July of 2025.

After an extensive search of impressive candidates from around the globe, led by Jack Farrell and Associates, the American Public Health Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Denys T. Lau as Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Public Health. Dr. Lau will assume leadership of AJPH on July 1, becoming the 15th Editor-in-Chief of the journal, which has been publishing original work in public health research and serving as a forum for health policy analysis since 1911.

Dr. Lau will build upon the successful leadership of Professor Alfredo Morabia, MD, PhD, Queens College, City University of New York and Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, who has led AJPH since 2015. Under Dr. Morabia’s leadership, AJPH continued improving its impact factor and immediacy index, while expanding its supplements and influence through podcasts. 

“This is an exciting time for APHA. Dr. Morabia has been the face of AJPH for 10 years, successfully leading the journal through COVID and always ensuring its relevance. I greatly appreciate all his thought and effort in developing AJPH into what it is now,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association. “As we look forward to Dr. Lau’s leadership, I’m wholly confident of his ability to guide the continued growth of AJPH’s reputation for timely, scientifically rigorous and influential coverage of public health issues.” 

AJPH isn’t new to Dr. Lau. He served on the editorial board in 2014-2016 and as associate editor in 2016-2024. He launched a new section that publishes and advances state-of-the-art methods used in public health monitoring efforts.  He is a renowned champion of having accurate and unbiased public health data coupled with rigorous and transparent scientific research as the cornerstone for informing health policies and actions. In his executive leadership roles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Lau directed national health care provider survey programs and modernized population-based surveys to track our nation’s health and health systems. He served for eight years as the U.S. lead delegate to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, providing expert advice on health care quality indicator standards for multinational comparisons.

Besides federal and international services, he has had faculty appointments with leading academic institutions including University of Michigan, Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Chicago, George Washington University, University of Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University. His scholarship examined how preventive, curative, long-term, and hospice care can be delivered more effectively and safely across different older adult populations. He has received recognition for his research, teaching and services from professional and academic institutions including APHA, AcademyHealth, CDC, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Committee for Quality Assurance, Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, and Northwestern University. His innovative research and impactful program initiatives received competitive funding awards from federal agencies and foundations including the National Institutes of Health, HHS Office of Minority Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, Commonwealth Fund, and the California Endowment. 

“I am excited about assuming this leadership position and want to thank APHA for entrusting me with the responsibility to lead AJPH,” said Dr. Lau. “A goal that I have for AJPH is to engage closely with diverse members of the broader public health community at all levels — from researchers and educators to practitioners and policymakers — to ensure that the mission of the journal is met. That is, upholding the journal as the most current, authoritative, in-depth and trusted source of information in the field.” 

Learn more about American Journal of Public Health and the most recent issue.

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The American Public Health Association champions optimal, equitable health and well-being for all. With our broad-based member community and 150-year perspective, we influence federal policy to improve the public’s health. Learn more at www.apha.org.