Third Annual
public health banquet Perspectives
Janet Baum is a licensed architect, who received her Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University in 1970. For 45 years Ms. Baum has focused upon the design and construction of safe and healthy science and medical laboratory buildings. She just completed the 4th edition of the textbook Guidelines for Laboratory Design: Health, Safety, and Environmental Considerations; it will appear in bookstores this May. Ms. Baum has contributed to ten other books published on the topic of laboratory health and safety and numerous peer-reviewed articles. Ms. Baum is an instructor Harvard University’s School of Public Health and teaches three professional continuing education courses there. She is a Senior Lecturer at Washington University and teaches four courses. Her expertise is in occupational health and safety for the science, healthcare, and technology industries. Two of her courses are transdisciplinary, offered jointly by GWBS for the Institute of Public Health and SFS for the Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design. She is designing facilities for a new infectious and chronic disease institute in the Cameroon, Africa. baum@samfox.wustl.edu
peter benson PHD is Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and a faculty associate at the Institute for Public Health. Benson has participated in a range of research projects, looking at the tobacco industry in the United States, issues of cancer prevention and control in Guatemala, and changing cultures of agriculture and food production in Guatemala. Benson’s primary research interests include global health politics, the regulation of industrially produced harms, the globalization of public health, and the medical anthropology of cross-cultural issues in healthcare delivery and public health. pbenson@artsci.wustl.edu
Dr. David B. Clifford, MD is the Melba and Forest Seay Professor of Clinical Neuropharmacology in Neurology at Washington University in St. Louis. He has a broad interest in development of therapeutics for neurological disorders and has participated in research on epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, neurosarcoidosis and a variety of infectious neurological conditions. He developed the Neurologic AIDS Research Consortium (NARC), and leads the Washington University AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, the CHARTER study in St. Louis, and the Washington University Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials(NEXT) site. He is Medical Director for the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) Treatment Trial Unit. He has been a leader in research on progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and currently chairs the Scientific Advisory Board of the PML Consortium. He has participated in international research in Thailand, Ethiopia, Uganda, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Senegal. He is leading the development of a learning/teaching relationship with Mekelle University Medical Center and Ayder Hospital in northern Ethiopia with WUSTL. In St. Louis he started his academic career at the St. Louis City Hospital, and has served on the Board of Directors for St. Louis Regional Medical Center where he was President of the medical staff, and at present serves on the Board of St. Louis ConnectCare. cliffordd@neuro.wustl.edu
Banquet Perspectives 1
Dr. Graham Colditz is an epidemiologist and public health researcher focusing largely on prevention of chronic diseases (see yourdiseaserisk. wustl.edu). He trained in Medicine (Australia) and then Public Health (Harvard). Dr. Colditz collaborates with colleagues in Guatemala to build capacity to prevent chronic disease. In the Institute for Public Health, Dr. Colditz serves as deputy director, and at Siteman he focus on bringing research to active prevention programs for the region. In St Louis, he leads the program for the elimination of cancer disparities (PECaD). colditzg@wudosis.wustl.edu
Heather Corcoran is an associate professor of Communication Design in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. She is an information designer and graphic designer. Her research identifies a new, interdisciplinary role for information design in academia, balancing function and visual expression. She leads collaborative projects that position information design as a critical driver in contemporary public health and education. She is a faculty scholar in WUSTL’s Institute for Public Health, where she studies how visual design can make health data more meaningful. She was a co-primary investigator on a project entitled “Maximizing the Social Impact of Cancer Registry Data,” funded by the National Cancer Institute, and received a grant from the Kauffman Foundation for a project in biotechnology and information design in 2006. hcorcoran@wustl.edu
Dr. Michael Diamond, MD, phd received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Harvard University, and his post-doctoral and clinical training in infectious diseases and virology from the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, San Francisco. He is currently a Professor of Medicine, Molecular Microbiology, Pathology & Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine and the Co-Director of the Midwest Regional Center for Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease Research. Michael Diamond’s research focuses on the interface between viral pathogenesis and the host immune response. More recently, his group has studied how novel innate immune response effector molecules restrict infection of multiple families of pathogenic human viruses. diamond@borcim.wustl.edu
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Dr. Jack R. Engsberg is a biomechanist in the Program in Occupational Therapy, director of the Rehabilitation and Participation Science PhD program and head of the Human Performance Laboratory. Much of Dr. Engsberg’s work focuses on improving function, participation, and well-being in persons with disabilities and chronic health conditions throughout the world. He strives to accomplish this work by developing effective, engaging and efficient cognitive and motor therapy interventions that can be delivered via videogames over the internet. He is presently assisting persons with cerebral palsy, autism, stroke and spinal cord and brain injury. engsbergj@wusm.wustl.edu
Robert Fruend, Jr. joined the Regional Health Commission (RHC) as its first CEO in 2002. Prior to joining the RHC, Robert spent seven years as a health care consultant for Ernst & Young LLP. Robert earned an MBA from the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University, an MHA from the Washington University School of Medicine, and is a graduate of the Eisenhower Fellows (China and China/Taiwan), Coro St. Louis Fellows and Leadership St. Louis programs. Robert also served for seven years as an adjunct faculty member at Washington University School of Medicine. Robert currently serves as a member of the National Council for the Institute of Public Health at Washington University, the Mayor’s Commission on Youth and Families, and as a member of the board of the Behavioral Health Network of Greater St. Louis. Over the past 20 years he has served on over a dozen regional boards and committees, including the Lutheran Foundation, United Way Allocations Committee, Susan G. Komen Foundation Allocations Committee, and the Non Profit Services Center. Robert was named by the St. Louis Business Journal as one of the “Most Influential People” in St. Louis and is a recipient of its “Health Care Hero” Award for Public Policy. He also received the “St. Louis Region as One Leadership Award” and “Distinguished National Alumni Award” from the Coro Leadership Center, among other awards. In addition, under his leadership the RHC has been the recipient of a number of awards including the “What’s Right with the Region” award from Focus St. Louis, the “Outstanding Civic Leader” award from the Alliance on Mental Illness – NAMI St. Louis, the “Silver Key” Award from Mental Health America, and the “Outstanding Local Government Achievement Award “ from the East/West Gateway Council of Governments. Robert is a life-long native of the St. Louis region and spends his free time with his wife Holly and two sons, Trey (12) and Andrew (10).
Rich Hennicke, MSW, LCSW, ACSW is Director of Grants and Social Services at Nurses for Newborns. His work includes securing federal, state, and local foundation investment in the home visiting programs of Nurses for Newborns, as well as providing social service staff and student support for families served. Rich is an Adjunct Professor at Saint Louis University and serves as the NFN site supervisor for students in area MSW and Contextual Education programs. Rich.Hennicke@nfnf.org
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Steve Houldsworth began his work with HIV/AIDS in 1983 at AIDS Action Committee in Boston, MA. Among other HIV-related activities, he has been an HIV activist with ACT-UP, a mental health counselor for serodiscordant couples, and a Ryan White case manager. Mr. Houldsworth spent more than a decade in academia as both an administrator and faculty member before returning to HIV-related work in 2006. He is currently the Program Manager for the BEACON Project at Saint Louis Effort for AIDS. Funded in part by AIDS United, the BEACON Project is a multi-agency initiative designed to assist people living with HIV/ AIDS who have fallen out of care or were never in care. shouldsworth@stlefa.org
Dr. Steven Miller, MD, MBA joined Express Scripts in 2005. During his first year with the company, he made substantial contributions to reinforcing the model of generic and lower-cost brand promotion. In his current role, Dr.Miller continues to assist Express Scripts members save money while improving their overall health. He has been actively involved in the development of our clinical programs supporting the use of generic pharmaceuticals and specialty medications. smiller@express-scripts.com
Catina O’Leary, PhD, LMSW serves as Health Literacy Missouri’s (HLM) president and chief executive officer. Prior to joining HLM, O’Leary held a faculty position at Washington University School of Medicine and participated in the conduct of large-scale research projects focused on physical and mental health-related topics, including HIV and sexually transmitted disease-reduction in highrisk St. Louis women, as well as behavioral interventions to increase participation in health services and research among community-recruited groups. O’Leary is active in her St. Louis community, where she serves on the board for The Bridge, a drop-in shelter that offers daily meals and basic social services to homeless and food insecure St. Louisans. O’Leary also serves on the board for Magdalene, a newly incorporated St. Louis not-for-profit that aims to help women who have survived lives of abuse, prostitution, trafficking, addiction and life on the streets by providing a community where they can recover and rebuild their lives. CoLeary@healthliteracymissouri.org
Banquet Perspectives 2
David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv unegv Waya), PhD is an assistant professor at WUSTL’s Brown School of Social Work. He has 15 years of direct practice experience in addiction/HIV services and researches barriers to best practices adoption in a variety of healthcare services. He also studies Native American health and wellness issues, along with investigating strategies for retaining underrepresented minorities in higher education. dpatterson@brownschool.wustl.edu
Eleanor Peters is an Epidemiology Specialist for the St. Louis County Department of Health. She works on communicable diseases including influenza. Prior to coming to work for St. Louis County, Ms. Peters worked for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as an epidemiologist for the World Trade Center Health Registry. She holds two master’s degrees, an MA in Medical Anthropology from the University of London and an MSPH in Parasitology from Tulane University. EPeters@stlouisco.com
Will Ross, MD, MPH is associate dean for diversity at Washington University School of Medicine and associate professor of medicine in the kidney division. His work focuses on knowledge mapping and construction of conceptual frameworks to reduce healthcare disparities nationally and globally. Dr. Ross is a member of the St. Louis Regional Health Commission, which promotes accessible health care for the medically underserved. A past board chairman of the Missouri Foundation for Health, he spearheaded the State-wide health literacy initiative that led to the creation of Health Literacy Missouri. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine Health Literacy Roundtable, where he constructed a conceptual model for health literacy program development and implementation in developing countries. He is a member of the Centers for Disease Control Health Disparities Committee, a member of the St. Louis City Board of Health, and a member of the White House Business Council Forum, where he advocates for workforce diversity as a method of reducing health disparities. rossw@wusm.wustl.edu.
Banquet Perspectives 3
Elizabeth Sepper is an associate professor at Washington University School of Law. Her expertise is in health law. Her scholarship explores the interaction of morality, professional ethics, and law in medicine. She also has worked in the areas of human rights, women’s rights, and international health law. esepper@wustl.edu.
Jean-Francois Trani 5
is a demographer and Assistant Professor at the Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis and Honorary Senior Research Associate at the Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive Development Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London. His research examines vulnerability, in particular disability, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies following Amartya Sen’s and Martha Nussbaum’s capability approach. Dr Trani has conducted research projects in Afghanistan (2004–2007 and 2011–2013), Cameroon (1994–1996), Democratic Republic of Congo (2012–2013), Djibouti (2001 and 2008), India (New Delhi, 2008; Mandya District in Karnataka State, in 2009 and 2010; Mumbai, 2010), Italy (2009-2010), Nepal (2010–2011), Sierra Leone (2009) and Sudan (Darfur, 2008). jtrani@brownschool.wustl.edu
Maria Torres GalvAn was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and moved to South Carolina with her family at age ten. She graduated with a degree in Spanish and International Health, with a minor in Anthropology, from Clemson University, and received her Masters degree in Public Health from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Maria is currently the Health Literacy Coordinator at Casa de Salud, a health clinic in St. Louis that serves primarily underinsured and uninsured Latino immigrants. As Health Literacy Coordinator, Maria has several responsibilities, primarily managing the patient navigator program for Casa patients, and managing a qualitative research project. The patient navigator program addresses health literacy, as well as doctor-patient communication during the medical visits to outside agencies. The qualitative research project consists of a qualitative needs assessment researching the strengths and needs of the Latino community in St. Louis, and helps describe and capture what the Latino community looks like in St. Louis. Maria is dedicated to working with the Latino community, and hopes to continue this work in the future. mtorres@casadesaludstl.org
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