Pharmacoepidemiology Pioneer and UMSOP Professor Emerita Passes Away

Julie M. Zito shaped national conversations on medication safety for children through groundbreaking research and dedicated mentorship.

By Becky Ceraul
December 16, 2025

Julie M. Zito, PhD, a nationally recognized pioneer in pediatric pharmacoepidemiology and professor emerita of practice, sciences, and health outcomes research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP), died Dec. 6, 2025. She was a longtime faculty member whose research, teaching, and advocacy reshaped understanding of medication safety for children and adolescents.

Zito joined UMSOP in 1993 and served as a faculty member until her retirement in 2018. During her 25-year tenure, she mentored more than 50 graduate students and taught principles of pharmacoepidemiology to more than 1,000 PharmD students. She also held a joint appointment at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry.

“Dr. Zito was a fearless scholar and advocate whose work changed how the nation thinks about the safe and effective use of medications in children,” said Sarah L.J. Michel, PhD, dean of UMSOP and professor of pharmaceutical sciences. “Her legacy lives on through the countless students she mentored, the policies her research informed, and the patients whose lives are better because of her commitment to rigorous, patient-centered science.”

Zito was widely regarded as a leader in Phase IV post-marketing surveillance using real-world data, with a particular focus on pediatric populations. Her landmark 2000 study on psychotropic prescribing trends in preschool-aged children, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, brought national attention to medication safety and effectiveness in very young patients. The research helped catalyze a multisite, National Institute of Mental Health-funded clinical trial examining the safety and efficacy of methylphenidate in preschool children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Over her career, Zito authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and emerged as a national and international authority in pediatric pharmacoepidemiology.

Her service to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), was equally distinguished. A member of the UMB Faculty Senate beginning in 1997, she served as its president from 2005 to 2007. In recognition of her public service, she received the University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award for Public Service in 2008, one of the system’s highest faculty honors.

Zito was also a dedicated advocate for individuals with mental illness. She served as editor of the Psychotherapeutic Drug Manual, developed through her work with the New York State Office of Mental Health Committee on Therapeutics. The manual emphasized a patient-oriented, longitudinal approach to psychopharmacology – a philosophy that guided her research throughout her career.

Before joining UMSOP, Zito worked at the Nathan Kline Institute within the New York State Office of Mental Health. She earned a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy from St. John’s University and a PhD in pharmacy administration from the University of Minnesota.

Active in professional communities worldwide, Zito served on the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Pediatric Psychopharmacology Initiative subcommittee, which advised the FDA Pediatric Advisory Committee. She presented her research at major national and international conferences, including those of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Public Health Association, and the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology.

Following her retirement, Zito remained deeply engaged in mentorship, scholarship, and community service. She continued to publish research and volunteered extensively, supporting library boards, book sales, church food drives, and community food assistance programs serving more than 230 families each month. She also maintained a lifelong love of the arts.

Zito is survived by her husband, Dr. Sandy Zito; her two children; her grandchildren; and extended family members.

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