Brooklyn Adams Baker, PhD, MPH, Advances Maternal and Child Health Through Epidemiology

Brooklyn Adams Baker, PhD, MPH, a 2026 doctoral graduate from the Department of Epidemiology at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, has pursued a path in public health shaped by a strong commitment to improving maternal and child health and addressing persistent disparities in birth outcomes.

Baker’s roots trace back to a small town in East Texas, where her early awareness of unequal health outcomes across communities helped shape her interest in epidemiology. Public health appealed to her for its focus on understanding and addressing these challenges, particularly in underserved populations. She was drawn specifically to epidemiology because of its ability to integrate research, health outcomes, and data to identify patterns of disease and inform effective, evidence?based interventions.

For her doctoral training, Baker chose the School of Public Health as her top program. She was drawn to the strength of the Epidemiology department and to the School’s expanding expertise in maternal and child health. The growing faculty emphasis in this area, combined with the program’s rigor, made the School of Public Health an ideal setting for her doctoral studies.

Throughout her time in the program, Baker focused her research on maternal and child health, with a particular interest in birth outcomes and the disparities that continue to affect those outcomes. As she developed her dissertation, she explored new or understudied pathways through which adverse birth outcomes, such as low birth weight, persist. Her work was supported by a knowledgeable dissertation committee whose expertise helped shape her research approach and analytical framework.

In addition to her academic training, Baker gained extensive applied research experience as a research assistant at the Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin. Over several years, she worked with the STREETS program, developing skills in primary data collection, field research, data management, and publication development. This hands?on experience complemented her coursework and strengthened her ability to translate research into practice.

Baker cites several courses as particularly influential in her development as a researcher, including the maternal and child health seminar taught by Dr. Courtney Byrd-Williams and Epidemiologic Methods in Racial and Ethnic Disparities taught by Dr. Mayra Estrella. Concepts from these classes directly informed her dissertation work and contributed to her growth as a maternal and child health researcher.

Professionally, Baker has already transitioned into public service. In 2024, she joined the Texas Department of State Health Services, and in January, she began a new role as a Public Health Scientific Writer within the Disease Surveillance Epidemiology section in the Office of the Chief State Epidemiologist. In this role, she supports disease surveillance efforts and contributes scientific expertise to public health reporting and communication.

Looking ahead, Baker plans to continue her career in government public health, supporting initiatives that improve Texans' health. She also hopes to remain engaged in maternal and child health research and contribute to efforts aimed at reducing adverse outcomes and longstanding disparities across the United States.

As she completes her doctoral training, Baker reflects a blend of rigorous research preparation and applied public health practice, positioning her to make meaningful contributions to epidemiology and maternal and child health.