Howard University Mini Medical School

Celia Maxwell, MD.

Dr. Maxwell obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hunter College and her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her residency training in Internal Medicine at Howard University Hospital. Dr. Maxwell was also awarded a Fellowship in Parasitology at the National Institutes of Health, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases in 1983. Her research interests involved the investigation of the immune response of humans to the hookworm parasite.

Dr. Maxwell returned to Howard University as an Infectious Diseases Fellow and is now an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, as well as a member of several boards and scientific associations. She gives numerous talks to professional and lay audiences and is a frequent guest on radio and television. Additionally, she lectures to diverse groups, including physicians, educators, students, national service organizations, and has several publications in the areas of sexually transmitted diseases and parasitology.

In 1990, Dr. Maxwell was selected by Sharon Pratt-Kelly, former Mayor of Washington, D.C. to co-chair the Transitional Task Force on AIDS services. In 1993, she was appointed to the Healthcare Reform Task Force chaired by First Lady, Hillary Rodman Clinton. In 1995, Dr. Maxwell was appointed by Dr. Donna Shalala, then Secretary of Health and Human Services, and served on the Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council of the National Institutes of Health until 1998. From 1994-98, Dr. Maxwell was the Principal Investigator of the Mid-Atlantic AIDS Education and Training Center DC Local Performance Site at Howard University. Additionally, from 1994-97, she served as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Dr. David Kessler. In 1997, Dr. Maxwell was selected for the nationally renowned Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship. From 1997-98, through the fellowship, Dr. Maxwell served as a health legislative assistant for Senator Tom Harkin (D. Iowa).

Currently, Dr. Maxwell is the Assistant Vice President for Health Affairs and Director of the Women’s Health Institute at Howard University. She is also the Principal Investigator of several prestigious projects. They include: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Barbara Jordan Congressional Scholars Program at Howard University; The Program to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses; and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention-Comprehensive AIDS Training Initiative. She is also the Co-Principal Investigator of the National Minority AIDS Education & Training Center and the Local Health Policy and International Tele-medicine Application Project.