Joanne Katz

Last updated

Joanne Katz
Born
Cape Town, South Africa
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Educator
  • biostatistician
  • epidemiologist
Scientific career
Institutions
Thesis Village and household clustering of morbidity and mortality in developing countries  (1992)

Joanne Katz is an epidemiologist, biostatistician, and Professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She holds joint appointments in the Departments of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Ophthalmology within the School of Medicine. Her expertise is in maternal, neonatal, and child health. She has contributed to the design, conduct and analysis of data from large community-based intervention trials on nutritional and other interventions in Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal, and other countries.

Contents

Early life and education

Joanne Katz was born in Cape Town, South Africa. [1] Her father, Robert Katz, was a builder of large apartment buildings across Cape Town and a holder of several patents in Africa and Europe. Her mother, Ray Katz, [2] a lawyer, was one of the first women admitted to the South African bar. Katz was the second of four children. The family immigrated to the United States in 1978, just after Katz graduated with a Bachelor of Science in economics and statistics from the University of Cape Town. [1] [3]

She received a Master of Science in mathematical statistics from Princeton University in 1982 and immediately joined the faculty of the newly established Dana Center in the Johns Hopkins Department of Ophthalmology as a research associate. While working full time, Dr Katz earned a Doctor of Science in international health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1993. [1] [3] Her dissertation was titled Village and household clustering of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. [4]

Career

From 1982 to 1994, Katz served on the faculty of the Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology in the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins. [1] With an MS degree, she was promoted to assistant professor in 1986 and to associate professor in 1991. In 1994, she moved with several colleagues into the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Department of International Health. [1] There, she was promoted to professor in 1997.

Research

Katz has contributed to the research and the diagnosis of eye disease, specifically to underserved children and elderly in Baltimore. [1]

Her research has also sought to find low cost interventions to reduce micronutrient deficiencies, infectious diseases, and poor reproductive outcomes among pregnant women, adolescents, and young children in Africa and Asia. [1] Starting in 1982, as a statistician, she worked with Alfred Sommer to analyze data to uncover a link between vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and an increased risk for child mortality. [5]

From 1983 to 1992, Katz worked with Keith West and James Tielsch to run a number of large scale, community-based, randomized trials to identify a link between VAD and child mortality. Their work showed they could reduce child mortality in at-risk populations by 23 to 34%. [6] They conducted a number of randomized trials in Indonesia and Nepal in the 1980s. [6] [7] By 1992, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the United Nations's Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child declared the control of VAD as a common goal. [6]

Katz has been working in Nepal since 1988, with the Nepal Nutrition Intervention Project Sarlahi (NNIPS). [8] This is the site of multiple observational studies and randomized community trials that showed preschool vitamin A supplementation improved child survival, maternal vitamin A supplementation improved maternal survival, maternal multiple micronutrient supplementation improved birth and survival outcomes, and chlorhexidine for umbilical cord care improved neonatal survival. Vitamin A supplementation and chlohexidine for cord care are now national programs in Nepal and other countries. Nepal was also the site of trials to assess the health impacts of preschool child zinc and iron supplementation, improved cookstoves to reduce indoor air pollution, a maternal influenza vaccine trial to improve birth weight and reduce infant influenza infection, a randomized trial of neonatal oil massage with either mustard or sunflower seed oil to improve neonatal survival, and an ongoing trial of a balanced energy protein and micronutrient supplement for pregnant and lactating women to improve birth outcomes and infant growth.

Katz’s research also includes analyses of data sets from multiple low- and middle-income countries to estimate the burden of different small vulnerable newborn types. [9]

Awards

Select publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retinol</span> Chemical compound

Retinol, also called vitamin A1, is a fat-soluble vitamin in the vitamin A family that is found in food and used as a dietary supplement. Retinol or other forms of vitamin A are needed for vision, cellular development, maintenance of skin and mucous membranes, immune function and reproductive development. Dietary sources include fish, dairy products, and meat. As a supplement it is used to treat and prevent vitamin A deficiency, especially that which results in xerophthalmia. It is taken by mouth or by injection into a muscle. As an ingredient in skin-care products, it is used to reduce wrinkles and other effects of skin aging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human nutrition</span> Nutrients supporting human health

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malnutrition</span> Medical condition caused by receiving too little or too many nutrients

Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients which adversely affects the body's tissues and form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multivitamin</span> Dietary supplement containing vitamins

A multivitamin is a preparation intended to serve as a dietary supplement with vitamins, dietary minerals, and other nutritional elements. Such preparations are available in the form of tablets, capsules, pastilles, powders, liquids, or injectable formulations. Other than injectable formulations, which are only available and administered under medical supervision, multivitamins are recognized by the Codex Alimentarius Commission as a category of food.

Micronutrients are essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying quantities to regulate physiological functions of cells and organs. Micronutrients support the health of organisms throughout life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nutrition and pregnancy</span> Nutrient intake and dietary planning undertaken before, during and after pregnancy

Nutrition and pregnancy refers to the nutrient intake, and dietary planning that is undertaken before, during and after pregnancy. Nutrition of the fetus begins at conception. For this reason, the nutrition of the mother is important from before conception as well as throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. An ever-increasing number of studies have shown that the nutrition of the mother will have an effect on the child, up to and including the risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes throughout life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Child mortality</span> Death rate of infants and young children

Child mortality is the death of children under the age of five. The child mortality rate refers to the probability of dying between birth and exactly five years of age expressed per 1,000 live births.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stunted growth</span> Reduced growth rate in human development

Stunted growth, also known as stunting or linear growth failure, is defined as impaired growth and development manifested by low height-for-age. It is a primary manifestation of malnutrition and recurrent infections, such as diarrhea and helminthiasis, in early childhood and even before birth, due to malnutrition during fetal development brought on by a malnourished mother. The definition of stunting according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is for the "height-for-age" value to be less than two standard deviations of the median of WHO Child Growth Standards. Stunted growth is usually associated with poverty, unsanitary environmental conditions, maternal undernutrition, frequent illness, and/or inappropriate feeding practice and care during early years of life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vitamin A deficiency</span> Disease resulting from low Vitamin A concentrations in the body

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) or hypovitaminosis A is a lack of vitamin A in blood and tissues. It is common in poorer countries, especially among children and women of reproductive age, but is rarely seen in more developed countries. Nyctalopia is one of the first signs of VAD, as the vitamin has a major role in phototransduction; but it is also the first symptom that is reversed when vitamin A is consumed again. Xerophthalmia, keratomalacia, and complete blindness can follow if the deficiency is more severe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Sommer</span> American ophthalmologist and academic

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Health care services in Nepal are provided by both public and private sectors and are generally regarded as failing to meet international standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micronutrient deficiency</span> Medical condition

Micronutrient deficiency is defined as the sustained insufficient supply of vitamins and minerals needed for growth and development, as well as to maintain optimal health. Since some of these compounds are considered essentials, micronutrient deficiencies are often the result of an inadequate intake. However, it can also be associated to poor intestinal absorption, presence of certain chronic illnesses and elevated requirements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nutrition International (organization)</span> Nonprofit organization

Nutrition International formerly known as the Micronutrient Initiative (MI) is an international non-profit agency based in Canada that works to eliminate vitamin and mineral deficiencies in developing countries. Although, it is often only required by the body in very small amounts. Vitamin and minerals also known as micronutrients support an array of critical biological functions including growth, immune function and eye function as well as foetal development of the brain, the nervous system, and the skeletal system. Micronutrient deficiency is a form of malnutrition and is a recognized health problem in many developing countries. Globally, more than two billion people live with vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

People living with HIV/AIDS face increased challenges in maintaining proper nutrition. Despite developments in medical treatment, nutrition remains a key component in managing this condition. The challenges that those living with HIV/AIDS face can be the result of the viral infection itself or from the effects of anti-HIV therapy (HAART).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdullah Baqui</span> Bangladeshi public health scientist

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental enteropathy</span> Disorder of chronic intestinal inflammation

Environmental enteropathy is an acquired small intestinal disorder characterized by gut inflammation, reduced absorptive surface area in small intestine, and disruption of intestinal barrier function. EE is most common amongst children living in low-resource settings. Acute symptoms are typically minimal or absent. EE can lead to malnutrition, anemia, stunted growth, impaired brain development, and impaired response to oral vaccinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Undernutrition in children</span> Medical condition affecting children

Undernutrition in children, occurs when children do not consume enough calories, protein, or micronutrients to maintain good health. It is common globally and may result in both short and long term irreversible adverse health outcomes. Undernutrition is sometimes used synonymously with malnutrition, however, malnutrition could mean both undernutrition or overnutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that malnutrition accounts for 54 percent of child mortality worldwide, which is about 1 million children. Another estimate, also by WHO, states that childhood underweight is the cause for about 35% of all deaths of children under the age of five worldwide.

Julia Rucklidge is a Canadian-born clinical psychologist who is the director of the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Group at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Her research has centered on mental health and nutrition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Child health and nutrition in Africa</span>

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Grace Ndeezi is a Ugandan female pediatrician and a professor of pediatrics and child health at Makerere University of Health Sciences with over 140 publications in peer-reviewed journals on nutrition, HIV, pneumonia, malaria, sickle cell anemia, diarrheal diseases, neonatal health and child heath interventions, such as immunization, breast feeding and other common childhood diseases. She has collaborated with other faculty and health professionals on three continents, including facilitation in Zimbabwe, Eritrea, and Kenya.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Joanne Katz, ScD". Maryland State Archives. 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Ray Katz Obituary (2018) - Westport, Ct, CT - The Republican". Legacy.com. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Joanne Katz, ScD". Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  4. ↑ Sommer, Alfred; West, Keith P. (1996). Vitamin A Deficiency. Oxford University Press. p. 352.
  5. ↑ Prabhune, Meenakshi (April 6, 2020). "Alfred Sommer: Discovering a Two-Cent Remedy that Saves Children's Lives". Lasker Foundation. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 "The Story of Vitamin A". Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 2003. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  7. ↑ Howard, Brandon (May 2010). "Nepal and the Department of International Health A Model Relationship for Global Health Research". Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Nepal Nutrition Intervention Project - Sarlahi | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health". publichealth.jhu.edu. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Joanne Katz | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health". publichealth.jhu.edu. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Joanne Katz, ScD". Maryland Women's Heritage Center. January 2, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Joanne Katz receives NICHD funding to investigate risk factors for adverse birth outcomes in rural Nepal". Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. September 17, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
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