2007 Ambassadors in the Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health
Click on any photo to learn about that Ambassador's work in their own words.
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Ruth L. Berkelman, MD |
Gretchen Birbeck, MD, MPH, DTMH |
Jo Ivey Boufford, MD |
Donald Burke, MD |
Richard Cash, MD, MPH |
John Clemens, MD |
Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA |
Lynn Freedman, JD, MPH |
Edward Frongillo, Jr, PhD |
Nancy Glass, PhD, MPH, RN |
Deborah Greenspan, BDS, DSc |
Philip Hopewell, MD |
James W. LeDuc, PhD |
Adel A. F. Mahmoud, MD, PhD |
Jane Menken, MS, PhD |
Michael H. Merson, MD |
Melinda Moore, MD, MPH |
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Samuel L. Stanley, Jr, MD |
William M. Tierney, MD |
Judith N. Wasserheit, MD, MPH |
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Linda C. Baumann, PhD, RN
Director, Global Health Initiatives Research
School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin
Dr. Linda Baumann teaches at the nursing school at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where she works to improve the care and treatment of chronic disease, especially diabetes. Specifically, her work involves training physicians and nurses in diabetes care, diabetes education and research. Dr. Baumann points out that like too many Americans, too many people in Vietnam and Uganda — two countries which are of particular interest to her — suffer from diabetes. She knows first-hand that there are many similarities in spite of the miles that separate the U.S. from countries around the world. She is confident that by working together, the scientific community will come that much closer to finding a cure.
Ruth L. Berkelman, MD
Director, Center for Public Health Preparedness and Research
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Dr. Ruth Berkelman runs the Center for Public Health Preparedness at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Having worked in infectious diseases and public health for more than 25 years, Dr. Berkelman has witnessed how effectively infectious diseases can be combated when a comprehensive public health program includes research. She believes that the United States is fighting infectious diseases with one hand tied behind its back because it is not devoting enough funding to health and medical research. She says research must not be divorced from treatment programs and believes that it is only through research that the effectiveness of major global health programs can be tracked. For example, with dollars flowing for treatment of HIV/AIDS patients, the dramatic rise in multi-drug resistant tuberculosis went undetected in South Africa until research demonstrated the problem. Standard tuberculosis therapy was being dispensed to individuals for whom the drugs were not only ineffective but actually exacerbating the problem of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. On the surface, a program that simply counts numbers of people being treated may look like a success initially; but it is the research to evaluate these programs that keeps these programs well directed and truly a long term success.
Gretchen Birbeck, MD, MPH, DTMH
Director, International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program
Michigan State University
Dr. Gretchen Birbeck runs the international program at Michigan State University that looks at diseases of the brain. Conditions such as epilepsy and dementia impact health directly through disease-related death and disability, but they also impact individuals and their families indirectly through disease-related stigma and social and economic deprivation. In areas of the world that already have so many challenges, diseases like this most often are not understood, and this lack of understanding coupled with little chance of making even a limited income are a sure path for continued devastating poverty. Dr. Birbeck's Africa-based research programs are aimed at understanding the broader social and economic impact of brain injury and neurologic disease. Ultimately, her work will facilitate the development of effective interventions for injury prevention and will limit the negative social and economic impact of the disease-related stigma. Dr. Birbeck fervently believes that by finding solutions for these problems overseas, people at home and abroad will reap the benefits.
Jo Ivey Boufford, MD
President,
New York Academy of Medicine
Donald Burke, MD
Associate Vice Chancellor of Global Health
Dean, Graduate School of Public Health University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Donald Burke is the associate vice chancellor and dean of the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. He considers himself a scientist first, with a particular focus on vaccine development and distribution. Dr. Burke — who has specific, in-depth experience in countries such as Thailand and Cameroon — knows that emerging viruses anywhere in the world pose a threat to Americans. The devastating AIDS epidemic, the frightening SARS near-miss, and the looming threat of a global influenza pandemic are examples of this. He believes that if there is understanding of exactly how these diseases emerge, it may be possible to stop them before they begin. Dr. Burke says that through effective research, scientists can learn how to predict and prevent epidemics and by learning what to do ahead of time, people worldwide can benefit.
Richard Cash, MD, MPH
Director, Program on Ethical Issues in International Health Research
School of Public Health, Harvard University
Dr. Richard Cash runs the international health research program at Harvard's School of Public Health. He trains scientists from all over the world to help them improve the health of their own citizens. He also works on ethical issues in international health research, which is increasingly important with all of the research institutions and business organizations in Massachusetts. The main part of his work focuses on the use of oral rehydration therapy for the treatment of diarrhea in children and adults as well as treating dehydration in the elderly. As a proponent of international health research, Dr. Cash believes it is important to devote time and money to the training of international scientists and the development of institutions. Dr. Cash cites his work in Southeast Asia on the treatment of diarrhea in children and adults as an excellent example of how Americans benefit from global health research, too. He says that with the world getting more connected, this will continue to grow in importance.
John Clemens, MD
Director-General
International Vaccine Institute (Korea based)
Dr. John Clemens, a Michigan native, is director-general of the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul, Korea. He views vaccines as the most potent and cost-effective tool to control infectious disease. His work focuses on the development and distribution of new vaccines, with a particular focus on vaccines for use in the world's poorest nations. In addition to helping people in developing countries, the work Dr. Clemens does on the development of vaccines benefits Americans by helping to reduce the chances of infectious diseases reaching the U.S. Dr. Clemens also points out that improving the health of people living in developing countries leads to more economic independence and political stability in their own countries - which in turn, is good for the U.S.
Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH
Director, International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs and the Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiologic Research, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr is director of the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. She conducts research on two of the biggest global health threats, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, which affect people worldwide. With the ease and extent of global travel, what happens overseas can rapidly impact the health of Americans. Dr. El-Sadr believes that finding solutions for preventing and managing these conditions through investment in research will reap great value for all of the world's citizens.
Lynn Freedman, JD, MPH
Director, Averting Maternal Death and Disability Program
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Ms. Lynn Freedman is a professor of Public Health and is director of the Averting Maternal Death and Disability Program at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Her work is focused on saving the lives of mothers and their newborn babies by working to ensure access to health care. As a human rights lawyer and public health professional, Ms. Freedman works on improving equity and strengthening the health systems in poor countries. She and her team look at health systems as the basic building blocks of democratic development and as a means to reduce poverty. In turn, Ms. Freedman uses some of the lessons from their global work to improve delivery of health services in New York City and vice versa.
Edward Frongillo, Jr., PhD
Chair, Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior
Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina
Dr. Edward Frongillo, Jr., is chair of the department of Health Promotion and Education Behavior at the University of South Carolina where his work is primarily focused on the study of nutrition. More than half of all deaths of young children — which amounts to 10 million annually, equivalent to the entire population of Shanghai or the state of Michigan — are caused at least in part by malnutrition. His work includes establishing growth standards and improving the development and feeding of infants and young children. Additionally, his work examines the role that family stress and parenting as well as the role of policy can and do play in improving nutrition. All of these factors are key to the health and wellbeing of children in any country. Dr. Frongillo also has worked with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop their nutrition strategy as part of its overall global health initiative.
Nancy Glass, PhD, MPH, RN
Associate Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health
School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Nancy Glass is a nurse and researcher who runs the Center for Global Health at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore. Her research has taken her to sub-Saharan Africa, Thailand and India, where her work focuses on the social aspects of health, such as safe, affordable housing and jobs for women survivors of intimate partner violence. She works with employers to understand, from a business perspective, the economic impact of this kind of violence on the health and well-being of their employees, such as, missing work, lost productivity, and sky-rocketing health care costs. She also focuses on how best to develop cost-effective housing programs and policies for survivors and their children. Dr. Glass emphasizes that these are issues worldwide and that answers discovered in one part of the world can benefit people globally.
Deborah Greenspan, BDS, DSc
Chair, Department of Orofacial Sciences Clinical Director, Oral AIDS Center
University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Deborah Greenspan is a professor of Clinical Oral Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry where her two main areas of focus are on the oral lesions associated with HIV and Sjögrens Syndrome, a widespread autoimmune disease in which there is debilitating dry mouth, dry eyes and other problems. Specifically she works with the International Sjögren's Syndrome Registry to: develop criteria by which the disease is diagnosed; oversee the collection and storage of data from patients who are diagnosed; and develop a databank from which these resources can be provided to other investigators studying the disease. Dr. Greenspan also works on the study of oral lesions, a common, almost universal feature of HIV-induced disease. She is working in partnership with two other universities to investigate the oral complications associated with HIV/AIDS and to address such overarching questions like the affects of potent anti-retroviral medications on the development of secondary infections, like oral lesions. Additionally, Dr. Greenspan and her team are working on the causes and best treatment for oral secondary infections for both domestic and international use.
Philip Hopewell, MD
Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine,
University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Phil Hopewell is a professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco where he teaches about and conducts research on tuberculosis. Since TB exists throughout the world, Dr. Hopewell considers his work global, as he looks at finding the best ways to identify, implement and evaluate what works in controlling and caring for people with tuberculosis. He knows that by improving the care of individuals with tuberculosis and controlling the disease worldwide the number of TB cases will be greatly reduced in the United States, where 55 percent of people with TB were born abroad.
James W. LeDuc, PhD
Director, Global Health, Institute of Human Infections and Immunity
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
Dr. Jim LeDuc is the director of Global Health at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, where he works extensively with the World Health Organization, various country research institutions and individual scientists around the world to control outbreaks of disease, to prevent their spread, to understand how they are spread, and to find better treatments. Additionally, Dr. DeLuc works with hazardous viruses (with many layers of safeguards in place) that are threats to the health of human and animal health and to national security via bioterrorism.
Adel A. F. Mahmoud, MD, PhD
Senior Molecular Biologist
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University
Dr. Adel Mahmoud is a professor in Molecular Biology at Princeton University where he teaches and conducts research on vaccines, which Dr. Mahmoud cites as the most effective response to the expanding threats of infectious diseases globally. He says that the discovery, development and global introduction of vaccines are key to controlling infectious disease. Dr. Mahmoud's work has contributed to the development of four important vaccines that have prevented death and disability to people around the world. He also has conducted research in the areas of microbial threats, bioterrorism, SARS and pandemic flu, working to protect the safety and health of people worldwide.
Jane Menken, MS, PhD
Director
Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado at Boulder
Michael H. Merson, MD
Director, Global Health Institute
Duke University
Dr. Michael H. Merson is a professor of Medicine, Community and Family Medicine and is the founding director of Duke University's Global Health Institute, which brings together interdisciplinary teams to solve complex health problems and to train the next generation of global health scholars. Dr. Merson's primary areas of expertise are HIV/AIDS and global health and he has a special interest in India, Russia, and China. Under Dr. Merson's leadership, Duke's Global Health Institute works with faculty and students from all nine schools at Duke in the areas of research, education, service and policy. Their goal is to become a world-recognized authority in global health and to make significant contributions to the prevention and treatment of health problems, thereby reducing health disparities in vulnerable and underserved populations around the world.
Melinda Moore, MD, MPH
Senior Health Researcher
RAND Corporation
Dr. Melinda Moore is a senior health researcher at the RAND Corporation where she works with top experts to develop policies to address the world's most pressing health problems. Specifically, Dr. Moore's areas of expertise are public health preparedness, pandemic influenza preparedness, and infectious disease surveillance and control. Her areas of interest include Africa, where she has worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a dozen other countries, as well as the Asia-Pacific region. At Rand, Dr. Moore and her team develop models and tools to help policy makers improve disease surveillance, improve their disaster preparedness, and address disease and health services problems. Dr. Moore knows that there are common health problems around the world and that it is everyone's responsibility to share solutions. Dr. Moore's research in global health has included working to improve child nutritional status, highlighting important HIV/AIDS trends, and bringing a multi-disciplinary approach to health issues. This work touches on the lives of Americans and the improvement of their health and health systems as well.
Barbara L. Nichols, DHL, MS, RN
Chief Executive Officer
Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, Philadelphia
Dr. Barbara Nichols is CEO of The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools where she focuses on the operations of credentials evaluation and assessment of the qualifications of health professionals seeking employment in the US in order to protect and ensure safe care to the American public. Her primary areas of expertise are: migration and immigration issues; health workforce planning; and the global shortage of nurses. Dr. Moore is particularly interested in work being done in India, the Philippines and China. She says that the migration of healthcare professionals worldwide has grown to become a hot button issue, both in the healthcare world and the political arena. Through the work of the CGFNS, Dr. Moore is ensuring that when people visit their doctor's office, or wake up in a hospital, they will be able to know that without a doubt the health professional attending to them is qualified and has gone through rigorous, certified training.
Carmen J. Portillo, RN, PhD
Professor and Interim Chair
Department of Community Health Systems, School of Nursing
University of California, San Francisco
As a community health specialist, Dr. Portillo's teaching reflects her area of expertise, research and interest in community health nursing which encompasses home care nursing at the advanced practice level and HIV/AIDS, and clinical research management.
Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., MD
President
Stony Brook University
Dr. Samuel Stanley, Jr., is the president of Stony Brook University. His primary areas of expertise are international health and emerging infectious disease. Dr. Stanley has practiced medicine in Africa and has spent the past 20 years working on new treatments and vaccines to prevent and combat emerging infectious diseases worldwide. He believes that diseases, such as SARS and influenza are a major threat to the security of the United States and the world. Dr. Stanley says the best defense against these threats is research into how to detect, prevent, and treat these diseases and states that global health research is a matter of national security and must be one of the nation's highest priorities.
William M. Tierney, MD
Chief
General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and Director of Research, Kenya Program Indiana University School of Medicine
Dr. William Tierney is the director of Research for the Kenya Program at Indiana University's School of Medicine. His primary areas of expertise are: medical information science; health services research and quality improvement; and HIV/AIDS. The areas of the world that most interest him are Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda where his research seeks low cost ways of delivering high quality health care. Many of the lessons Dr. Tierney and his team are learning are applicable to care in the US. For example, in order to implement HIV/AIDS care to a large number of people in many different areas of Kenya, they had to develop an electronic medical record system that could be shared locally. Because only 17 percent of doctors in the US use electronic medical records, this system has applicability in the United States, including in his own institution where this newly developed sharing system is replacing the university's 30-year-old electronic medical records system.
Judith N. Wasserheit, MD, MPH
Professor and Vice Chair
Department of Global Health, University of Washington
Dr. Judith Wasserheit is a professor of Medicine and Global Health and is vice chair of the department of Global Health at the University of Washington. Her work focuses on HIV infection/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and women's reproductive health. The areas of the world that most interest her are India, Bangladesh, Thailand and South Africa. Dr. Wasserheit calls STDs a major public health challenge in the United States and around the world and works on ways to prevent HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases, particularly on ways that can be used by young people. These include HIV preventive vaccines, and early detection and treatment of STDs to prevent HIV infections.