Cecília Tomori is Associate Professor and Assistant Director of the DNP Executive/MPH Dual Degree Program, and holds a joint appointment at the Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health. Dr. Tomori is internationally recognized for her expertise on breastfeeding, infant sleep, and maternal child health. Her research has contributed to the understanding of breastfeeding, human infant behavior and parental care in a cross-cultural and evolutionary context. Additionally, Dr. Tomori’s work has combined anthropological and public health approaches to investigate how historical, cultural and structural forces have undermined breastfeeding and contributed to persistent health inequities. Her recent work focuses on creating enabling, equitable environments for breastfeeding globally and on addressing the structural, social, and commercial determinants of health. As part of this work, Dr. Tomori has explored the harmful influence of the commercial milk formula industry in shaping infant feeding decisions and undermining breastfeeding, and advocates for policy solutions that limit this influence. Furthermore, Dr. Tomori has analyzed and proposed policy approaches that scale up structural support and strengthen regulations that protect, promote and support breastfeeding to improve first food security in the context of rising global threats from pandemics, climate change, conflict and inequality. She has been selected as an expert and currently serves on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s ad hoc committee, Understanding Breastfeeding Promotion, Initiation and Support Across the United States: An Analysis.
Dr. Tomori has collaborated with colleagues at Johns Hopkins and beyond on breastfeeding, infant sleep, infectious disease prevention, drug use and health policy, among other topics. She is an author of the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding Series, four books – The Anthropology of Reproduction: The Basics (forthcoming 1/2025), The Routledge Handbook of Anthropology and Reproduction (2021), Breastfeeding: New Anthropological Approaches (2018), Nighttime Breastfeeding (2014, 2nd edition forthcoming 1/2025) – and numerous publications on a wide range of public health issues. Her work has been widely cited in peer reviewed literature, clinical and global public health guidance, and in the media.
In her previous capacity as Director of Global Public Health and Community Health at JHSON, Dr. Tomori has led curricular initiatives that incorporate public health, policy and health equity into nursing education, and she helped launch and currently serves as Assistant Director of the DNP Executive/MPH dual degree program. She has been recognized for her teaching and mentorship with the 2023 Johns Hopkins Alumni Association’s Excellence in Teaching Award, the 2024 JHSON Excellence in Research Mentoring Award, 2024 JHU Supervisor of the Year Nominee, and for her public engagement with the 2022 School of Nursing Informers and Educators (SONIE) Award.
JHU Center Affiliation:
Center for Equity in Child and Youth Health and Wellbeing
Center for Global Initiatives