CAMPUS NOTICE

 

OFFICE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR -
HEALTH SCIENCES

OFFICE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR RESEARCH

July 10, 2009


ALL ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT UCSD

SUBJECT:    Global Health Initiative (GHI)

We are pleased to announce that a Global Health Initiative (GHI) has been established as a campus-wide program. The goal of the GHI is to coordinate and showcase all UCSD global health projects, courses, research and training programs so current and prospective students, faculty, researchers, staff and the public can easily access UCSD global health information.

Dr. Steffanie A. Strathdee, newly-appointed Associate Dean for Global Health Sciences, is the Director of the GHI. She is also the Harold Simon Professor and Chief of the Division of Global Public Health in the Department of Medicine, and an infectious disease epidemiologist who has spent the last two decades focusing on HIV prevention in underserved, marginalized populations.

We are also pleased to announce that Dr. Joshua Graff-Zivin has agreed to serve as Associate Director of the GHI. Dr. Graff-Zivin is a health economist and an Associate Professor of International Relations and Pacific Studies and Affiliated Faculty of Economics. Prior to joining UCSD in 2008, Dr. Graff Zivin was an Associate Professor of Economics in the Mailman School of Public Health and the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. He currently directs a large multi-year project which examines economic impacts of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, and has published numerous articles on a wide range of topics in top economic, policy, and medical journals.

The effort to form the Global Health Initiative began with a Global Health 'Think Tank' meeting in February, 2009. The long-term goal is that the GHI will lead to the formation of a formal Global Health Center or Institute. The GHI will serve the entire campus; act as a coordinating body for global health efforts at UCSD; and serve as a resource for students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, residents and the public. A GHI Steering Committee and website will be developed in the fall, 2009. Working groups have been formed to address research, curriculum development, faculty recruitment, website development, fundraising, and student affairs related to global health. The current membership of the GHI may be found at the following URL: http://gph.ucsd.edu/ghi/GHI-membership.xls. Individuals interested in joining the GHI should contact Jessica Cubeta (jcubeta@ucsd.edu).


David Brenner
Vice Chancellor -
Health Sciences

Arthur B. Ellis
Vice Chancellor for Research