John E Ehiri

Biography

John E. Ehiri, PhD, MPH, MSc (Econ.) is a University Distinguished Outreach Professor and Vice Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona. A professor in the Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Dr. Ehiri brings more than 25 years of global public health leadership in research, teaching, and service. His scholarly work focuses on maternal, child, and adolescent health, behavioral health interventions, and public health systems strengthening in underserved populations across the globe. He is the editor of Maternal and Child Health: Global Challenges, Programs, and Policies (Springer 2009; 2025), a widely used graduate-level global health text held in over 400 libraries worldwide.

Dr. Ehiri has held multiple influential academic and research leadership roles, including Chair of the Department of Health Promotion Sciences (2009–2020) and Principal Investigator of major federally funded initiatives.  His work has strengthened public health training pipelines through programs like the HRSA-supported Graduate Certificate in MCH Epidemiology, aimed at enhancing Indigenous health workforce capacity, and the NIH-funded Framework Program for Global Health, which built educational partnerships in low- and middle-income countries.

Internationally recognized, Dr. Ehiri has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and provided technical assistance to the WHO, UN agencies, and global health agencies. His dedication to mentorship and education has earned him multiple teaching awards, and his students’ projects span over 20 countries. He was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, in 2017, and in 2025, received the University of Arizona’s Distinguished Outreach Professor Award for exemplary contributions to the University’s mission and broad societal impact. Dr. Ehiri holds an MPH and PhD in Public Health from the University of Glasgow and an MSc (Econ.) in Health Policy and Planning from the University of Wales, Swansea.

Research Interests

• Maternal, child, and adolescent health.
• Global Health
• Behavioral interventions for HIV/AIDS prevention among women, children, and adolescents.
• HIV stigmatization
• Needs assessment, program planning, and evaluation.

Publications available on PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=ehiri j&sort=date

Publications available on UA Profiles https://profiles.arizona.edu/person/jehiri 

Degrees

• Ph.D. Public Health
• Glasgow University, Glasgow, Scotland, Scotland, United Kingdom
• Evaluation of implementation of the hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) system, and food hygiene training in Scotland
• M.S. Health Policy & Planning; Health Economics; Health Systems Administration
• Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
• The role of socioeconomic factors in infant and child mortality in Nigeria.
• MPH Public Health
• Glasgow University, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
• Evaluation of the role of health visitors in the prevention of home injuries involving children in northwest Glasgow, Scotland

Awards

• US Fulbright Scholar
• US State Department/Fulbright Commission/Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), The Scholar Division of the Institute of International Education (IIE)., Fall 2025
• University Distinguished Outreach Professor
• The University of Arizona, Fall 2025