People in global health news

University of Lagos names first female vice-chancellor

Dr. Folasade Ogunsola was named Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, the first woman to hold the position. A principal investigator on the MEPI Jr project, Ogunsola was a founding member of the Nigerian Society for Infection Control and served as team lead for Infection Prevention and Control during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak.

Infectious disease leader Lee Riley passes away

Dr. Lee W. Riley, a pioneer in global health, died on October 19, 2022, at 73. An expert in molecular epidemiology, Riley was director of the Global Health Equity Scholars Program at UC Berkeley School of Public Health, one of the consortia in Fogarty's Global Health Fellows & Scholars/LAUNCH program.

Schiffer to lead USAID's Asia Bureau

Michael Schiffer was confirmed as USAID Assistant Administrator for Asia—the first in over six years. Michael previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs during the Obama administration.

Wafaa El-Sadr receives public health award

Former Fogarty board member, Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr will receive APHA's Sedgwick Memorial Medal for Distinguished Service in Public Health for her work in global HIV research, treatment, and care. El-Sadr worked with partners around the globe to increase access to care and prevent diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV.

RAPIDD program co-founder awarded Kyoto Prize

Dr. Brian Grenfell, co-founder of Fogarty's Research and Policy for Infectious Disease Dynamics (RAPIDD) modeling program, was awarded the 2022 Kyoto prize in basic sciences for his research in phylodynamics, a methodology that predicts the dynamics of RNA viruses in wildlife. This research helped develop COVID-19 vaccination policies to reduce the evolution of novel mutations.

Fogarty grantees elected to National Academy of Medicine

Three Fogarty grantees were recently named to the National Academy of Medicine. 

Dr. Marleen Temmerman, principal investigator on a Fogarty Global Infectious Diseases grant, was recognized for being a penholder of the U.N. Global Strategy for Women's, Children's, and Adolescents' Health and founding director of the International Center for Reproductive Health at Ghent University.

Dr. Gagandeep Kang, a professor in the Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, and recipient of multiple Fogarty grants, was recognized for her contributions to understanding and improving child health through research and vaccine science during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Dr. Wafaie Fawzi, principal investigator for the Fogarty-funded Partnership for Global Health Research Training Program, was recognized for advancing the science of safety and efficacy of nutritional interventions in the prevention and management of major global health threats.