Professional Biography

Julia Caplan, MPH, MPP, has led work in racial equity and health equity policy for over 25 years, turning systemic challenges into actionable change.

She most recently served as Executive Director of State of Equity at the Public Health Institute, where she chaired the California Health in All Policies (HiAP) Task Force for over 10 years. That work integrated health equity across more than 20 state agencies, including transportation, housing, land use, social services, parks, and fire and forestry.

Building on the HiAP Task Force, Julia and her team launched the Capitol Collaborative on Race and Equity with state and national partners. The Collaborative has helped more than 60 government agencies build racial equity plans and leadership teams.

Julia has contributed to the global field of Health in All Policies and racial equity through published work and partnerships with the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, the Global Network for HiAP, and the World Health Organization. She has supported HiAP projects nationally, including in Montana, North Carolina, and Michigan, as well as across both urban and rural areas of California. She currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Global Network for HiAP.

Earlier in her career, Julia served as Development Director at Medical Students for Choice, organizing lead for the California Senior Leaders Alliance at UC Berkeley, and Director of Jewish Youth for Community Action, where she led youth leadership programs rooted in solidarity and political action. She also co-founded Jewish Voice for Peace. Julia is currently a founding member of the Steering Committee of Bay Area Jews for Justice.

Beyond her formal education, Julia is a lifelong learner who has taken part in intensive trainings throughout her career. She has attended global HiAP symposiums in Australia, Japan, and Finland. She was selected as a Rockwood Leadership Institute "Lead California" fellow in 2018 to 2019, and later took part in Rockwood's Growing White Leadership for Racial Equity program in 2022. In 2025, she was a fellow in the Western States Center's Commons Civic Leadership Cohort.

Julia holds a Master of Public Health, a Master of Public Policy, and a Bachelor's degree in Middle Eastern Studies, all from UC Berkeley.