Cerella Craig, MPH

Cerella Craig is a Senior Project Manager for the Pediatric Innovation Initiative at the Center on the Developing Child. She has been in the role since September 2023. Before joining the Center’s staff, Cerella was a member of the Pediatric Innovation Initiative’s Community Leadership Council, advising on the project’s ethical considerations. As Senior Project Manager, she manages relationships with key partners and contributes to strategic planning to advance the Center’s goals around ethical biological measurement. Cerella also leads the Initiative’s efforts to sustain equitable partnerships with community and parent leaders. She is committed to health equity, which motivates her work at the Center.

Cerella has been a liaison between marginalized communities and research for over 15 years, taking a special interest in projects that aim to improve health outcomes for African American mothers and children. She started her career as a Public Service Specialist at the University of Connecticut’s Center for Public Health and Health Policy, training students to deliver nutrition education in inner cities. Cerella was a Community Mental Health Ambassador for the MOMS Partnership at Yale School of Medicine for seven years, where she co-facilitated cognitive behavioral therapy courses to reduce depressive symptoms for mothers with low income. She also worked with Yale’s SEICHE Center for Health and Justice, supporting research and advocacy efforts to improve health care access for people with criminal justice involvement. Cerella holds a BS in Health and Social Inequalities from the University of Connecticut and an MPH from Southern Connecticut State University.