Avareena Schools-Cropper, DrPH, MPH

Special Assistant and Maternal Heath Advisor
Office of Minority Health
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Dr. Avareena Schools-Cropper is the Special Assistant and maternal health advisor within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of Minority Health, with dynamic experiences and expertise in clinical laboratory science, academic research, government administration, and public health policy. These experiences have led Dr. Schools-Cropper to follow her passion for ensuring that communities can achieve their optimal level of health through evidence-based policymaking. She earned a Master of Public Health from Morgan State University, a DrPH from Walden University, School of Health Sciences and Public Policy.  

Dr. Schools-Cropper’s research involves understanding the risk factors associated with maternal health disparity gaps among racial and ethnic minorities at the intersection of perinatal mental illness and breastfeeding. Using quantitative methodology, she examined the determinants of breastfeeding and maternal health among postpartum African American women in 2020, finding several factors significantly influencing African American women’s breastfeeding intentions when experiencing perinatal depressive symptoms. Her research interests include health disparities, maternal mental illness, breastfeeding behaviors, and health policy.   

Civically, Dr. Schools-Cropper serves on the Executive Board of the Meningioma Brain Tumor Network, Inc. to improve the quality of life for meningioma survivors/thrivers and their families. Also an active member of the American Public Health Association and the National Association of Doctors of Public Health.