Cyrus Shahpar ’92 Director of the Prevent Epidemics Team at the Resolve to Save Lives Initiative of Vital Strategies, Emergency Physician and former Officer in U.S. Public Health Service B.A., Public Health, John Hopkins University M.P.H., Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley M.D. and M.B.A., University of California, Irvine
Bettering Lives: Alumni Careers in the Health Sciences
When we set out to create this story, we were astounded by the amount of SJND Alumni doing incredible things in the health sciences. From working on a global initiative addressing world health issues, to overseeing cancer drug clinical trials and finding answers to families’ questions when they lose a loved one, the alumni featured here have extraordinary and diverse careers. And yet despite their varying professions, we were able to find a commonality between all of them: they are passionate about serving others and bettering lives. Thank you to those who gave us a look inside the day-to-day of their professional lives and we hope you enjoy reading about their paths, experiences and advice for current students and young alumni. 16 Saint Joseph Notre Dame
Emergency Medicine Residency/Chief Resident, Johns Hopkins Hospital Fellowship, Epidemic Intelligence Service (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Diplomate, American Board of Emergency Medicine
What is Resolve to Save Lives? What does your current role as Director of the Prevent Epidemics Team entail? Resolve to Save Lives is a five-year, $225 million campaign funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It was founded in 2017 by Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and coordinated by Vital Strategies, which works in 60 countries to address the world’s most challenging health issues. Resolve to Save Lives has two major areas of work, cardiovascular disease and preventing epidemics. As Director of the Prevent Epidemics Team, I lead the day-to-
