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Howard Dubowitz, MB,ChB, FAAP

Academic Title:

Professor

Primary Appointment:

Pediatrics

Administrative Title:

Division Head, Child Protective Services

Additional Title:

Head, Division of Child Protection; Director, Center for Families

Location:

Gray Hall, First Floor

Phone (Primary):

(410) 706-6144

Fax:

(410) 706-3017

Education and Training

Education

  • 1969 – 1974: MD (or M.B., Ch.B) University of Cape Town Medical School, South Africa
  • 1982 – 1983: M.S. in Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health

Post Graduate Education and Training

Internships

  • 1975 – 1976: Rotating Internship, Tel Hashomer Medical Center, Israel
  • 1978 – 1979: Pediatrics, North Shore Children's Hospital, Salem, MA.

Residency

  • 1979 – 1981: Pediatrics, Boston City Hospital

Fellowship

  • 1981 – 1983: Child Abuse and Neglect, Children's Hospital, Boston

Biosketch

Howard Dubowitz is a Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Center for Families at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. He is a Past-President of the Ray Helfer Society, an honorary international group of physicians working in the child maltreatment field.  He has served on the Executive Council of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and the national boards of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children and of Prevent Child Abuse America.

Dr. Dubowitz is a clinician, researcher, and educator, and he is active in the policy arena. His main interests are in child neglect and prevention. Dr. Dubowitz led the development of the Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) model, building upon the opportunities in pediatric primary care to help prevent abuse and neglect. He edited Neglected Children: Research, Practice and Policy as well as ISPCAN’s World Perspectives on Child Abuse in 2012, 2014 and 2016, and he co-edited the Handbook for Child Protection Practice as well as International Aspects of Child Abuse and Neglect. Dr. Dubowitz has over 180 publications and he has presented at many national and international conferences.

Research/Clinical Keywords

pediatrics, child protection, child abuse and neglect, child welfare, prevention

Highlighted Publications

Dubowitz H, Feigelman S, Lane W, Kim JW. Pediatric Primary Care to Help Prevent Child Maltreatment: The Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) Model. Pediatrics. 2009;123:858-864.

Dubowitz H, Lane WG, Semiatin JN, Magder LS. The SEEK model of pediatric primary care: Can child maltreatment be prevented in a low-risk population? Academic Pediatrics. 2012; Jul-Aug; 12(4):259-68. 

Dubowitz H. Neglect in children. Pediatric Annals. 2013 Apr;42(4):73-7.

Dubowitz H. The Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) Model: Promoting children’s health, development and safety. Child Abuse and Neglect. 2014 Nov;38(11):1725-33.

Dubowitz, H., Christian, C. W., Hymel, K., & Kellogg, N. D. Forensic medical evaluations of child maltreatment; a proposed research agenda. Child Abuse and Neglect. 2014; 38(11):1734-1746.

Thompson, R., Flaherty, E. G., English, D. J., Litrownik, A. J., Dubowitz, H., Kotch, J. B., Runyan, D. K. Trajectories of adverse childhood experiences and self-reported health at age 18. Academic Pediatrics, 2015;15(5), 503-509.

Dubowitz, H., Thompson, R., Proctor, L., Metzger, R., Black, M. M., English, D, Magder, L.         Adversity, maltreatment, and resilience in young children. Academic Pediatrics. 2016;16(3): 233-239.

Dubowitz, H., Thompson, R., Arria, A.A., English, D., Metzger, R., & Kotch, J.B. Characteristics of child maltreatment and adolescent marijuana use: A prospective study. Child Maltreatment. 2016;21(1):16-25.

Dubowitz H. Child sexual abuse and exploitation: A global glimpse. Child Abuse and Neglect. 2017; Apr;66:2-8.

Thompson R, Lewis T, Neilson EC, English DJ, Litrownik AJ, Margolis B, Proctor L, Dubowitz H. Child Maltreatment and Risky Sexual Behavior. Child Maltreatment. 2017;1:69-78.

Proctor LJ, Lewis T, Roesch S, Thompson R, Litrownik AJ, English D, Arria AM, Isbell P, Dubowitz H. Child maltreatment and age of alcohol and marijuana initiation in high-risk youth. Addictive Behavior. 2017 Dec;75:64-69.

Jedwab M, Harrington D, Dubowitz H. Predictors of substantiated re-reports in a sample of children with initial unsubstantiated reports. Child Abuse and Neglect. 2017 Jul;69:232-241.

Awards and Affiliations

  • 1969: University of Cape Town Scholarship Award
  • 1981 – 1983: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Sponsored by National Institute of Mental Health
  • 1990: University of Maryland at Baltimore President's Community Scholar
  • 1991: State's Attorney Award, Baltimore
  • 1993: Elected to Society for Pediatric Research
  • 1994: Elected to Best Doctors in America Awarded American Association for the Advancement of Science – Science, Engineering and Diplomacy Fellowship (12-month sabbatical at the U.S. Agency for International Development).
  • 2000: Maryland State Council on Child Abuse and Neglect Award
  • 2001: American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) "Outstanding Professional" Award
  • 2002: University of Maryland Regents’ Faculty Award for Intercampus Collaboration
  • 2005: American Academy of Pediatrics’ Special Achievement Award
  • 2007: Baltimore’s Best Doctors
  • 2009: Nominee, American Academy of Pediatrics, Maryland Chapter, Pediatrician of the Year Award
  • 2010: American Academy of Pediatrics, Maryland Chapter, Lifetime Achievement Award
  • 2012: American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Child Abuse and Neglect Award for Outstanding Service to Maltreated Children
  • 2013: Best Long Presentation, Helfer Society Annual Meeting
  • 2015  Ray E. Helfer Society Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Field of Child Abuse and Neglect
  • 2016  Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health Alumni Award of Merit. 

Grants and Contracts

See CV