People in the global health news - August 2021

July / August 2021 | Volume 20 Number 4

 

Geneticist Lander named White House science advisor

Dr. Eric Lander has been confirmed as the new head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, which has been elevated to a cabinet-level position. A geneticist, Lander was most recently the president of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

Mathematician and hydrologist Kabat to lead HFSP

The international Human Frontier Science Program Organization has announced Prof. Pavel Kabat as its new Secretary-General. Previously, Kabat was research chief of the U.N.’s World Meteorological Organization and head of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria. He remains professor of global water and climate systems at Wageningen University.

 

Nicole Lurie to direct CEPI’s US activities

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)—a foundation focused on vaccines—has appointed Dr. Nicole Lurie as its new U.S. director. Since 2017, she has led CEPI’s emergency response efforts, including for COVID-19. Lurie previously served as HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.

 

Abdool Karim to advise UN on technology 

Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research (CAPRISA) in South Africa is among 10 eminent scientists selected to advise the UN on unleashing the power of technology for development. A longtime Fogarty grantee, Abdool Karim holds positions at Columbia University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

 

Global health advocate Tachi Yamada dies suddenly

Dr. Tadataka “Tachi” Yamada, former president of global health at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has died. Following an early career as a physician-scientist and professor at UCLA and the University of Michigan, Yamada was chairman of Research and Development at GlaxoSmithKline, and chief medical and scientific officer at Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

 

Former MEPI principal investigator Olayeye has died

Renowned Nigerian virologist Dr. David Olaleye has died. As a principal investigator at the University of Ibadan, he helped establish the Medical Education Partnership Program, which was managed by Fogarty. In addition, he was a member of the PI Council of AFREhealth and adjunct professor at Northwestern University in Chicago.

 

Vivian Pinn receives distinguished service award

Fogarty Senior Scientist emerita Dr. Vivian Pinn has been honored by the Association of Pathology Chairs with its 2021 Distinguished Service Award, in recognition of a lifetime of achievement. Pinn was the first African American woman to chair an academic pathology department in the U.S., at Howard University.  

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