Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Public Health was established in 1955 known as the Preventive Medicine Teaching and Research Department, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Second Medical University. On April 22, 2002, School of Public Health was established by merging the former Department of Health Administration of Shanghai Second Medical University and the Teaching and Research Department of Preventive Medicine. In 2005, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the former Shanghai Second Medical University were merged, and thus  Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Public Health has got its name since then. In June 2012, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention officially signed a contract to jointly develop Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Public Health.

The School currently has 6 departments, and research institutes like the National Center for Tropical Diseases, the Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of Environment and Child Health, the Shanghai Medical and Health Think Tank, the Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Translational Medicine-Food Safety and Toxicology Evaluation Center, the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Environment and Child Health, the Lancang-Mekong Joint Laboratory for tropical Disease Prevention and Control (the Belt and Road International Laboratory Shanghai), the Shanghai Key Disciplines of Health Education and Health Communication, the Digital Nutrition Center of Shanghai Nutrition Innovation Platform, the Shanghai Public Health and Preventive Medicine Science Popularization Service Platform, and the Shanghai Municipal Institutions of Disease Control and Prevention of Public Health Physicians Standardized Training Coordination Unit and other national, provincial and ministerial disciplines and platforms. The School also has over 10 national high-level talent program winners, such as the National Outstanding Youth Scientists and national outstanding teachers, and more than 30 provincial and ministerial high-level talent program winners.