Ahead of the Curve Michigan Public Health

Dr. Sanjay Gupta has become synonymous with health communications over the past two decades in his roles as CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, podcast host, and author. The two-time University of Michigan graduate ('90, MD '93) continues to work as a practicing neurosurgeon in Atlanta as well. Gupta joins Dean DuBois Bowman for a conversation on leadership, communication, and trust during this edition of the "Ahead of the Curve" speaker series

Dr. Larry Brilliant is a physician and epidemiologist, CEO of Pandefense Advisory, senior counselor at the Skoll Foundation and a CNN Medical Analyst. Previously, he served on the board of the Skoll Foundation, was Chair of the Advisory Board of the NGO Ending Pandemics, the president and CEO of the Skoll Global Threats Fund, vice president of Google, and the founding executive director of Google.org. He co-founded the Seva Foundation, an NGO whose programs have given back sight to more than 5 million blind people in two dozen countries. In addition, he co-founded The Well, a progenitor of today's social media platforms.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Brilliant was an associate professor of epidemiology and international health planning at the University of Michigan. Dr. Brilliant lived in India for nearly a decade where he was a key member of the successful WHO Smallpox Eradication Programme for SE Asia as well as the WHO Polio Eradication Programme. He was the founding chairman of the National Biosurveillance Advisory Subcommittee (NBAS), which was created by presidential directive of President George W. Bush, he was a member of the World Economic Forum's Agenda Council on Catastrophic Risk, and a "First Responder" for CDC's bio-terrorism response effort. Recent awards include the TED Prize, Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People, "International Public Health Hero," and four honorary doctorates.

He has lectured at Oxford, Harvard, Berkeley and many other colleges, spoken at the Royal Society, the Pentagon, NIH, the United Nations, and some of the largest companies and nonprofits all over the world. He has written for Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian, and other magazines and peer reviewed journals and was part of the Global Business Network where he learned scenario planning. Dr. Brilliant is the author of “Sometimes Brilliant,” a memoir about working to eradicate smallpox, and a guide to managing vaccination programs entitled “The Management of Smallpox Eradication.”

As the 20th U.S. Surgeon General and a prior member of the President’s Coronavirus task force, Dr. Jerome Adams has been at the forefront of America’s most pressing health challenges. A regular communicator via tv, radio, and in print, Dr. Adams is an expert not just in the science, but also in communicating the science to the lay public, and making it relevant to various audiences.

Dr. Jerome Adams was appointed as a Presidential Fellow and the Executive Director of Purdue's Health Equity Initiatives on October 1, 2021. He is also a Distinguished Professor of Practice in the departments of Pharmacy Practice and Public Health.

Dr. Adams is a licensed anesthesiologist with a master’s degree in public health, and ran the Indiana State Department of Health prior to becoming Surgeon General. In the State Health Commissioner role he managed a $350 million dollar budget and over 1000 employees, and led Indiana’s response to Ebola, Zika, and HIV crises. Notably, Dr. Adams helped convince the Governor and State Legislature to legalize syringe service programs in the state, and to prioritize $13 million in funding to combat infant mortality. As Surgeon General, Dr. Adams was the operational head of the 6,000 person Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and oversaw responses to 3 back-to-back category 5 hurricanes, and to a once in a century pandemic.

In addition to his recent COVID19 work, Dr. Adams has partnered with and assisted organizations as they navigate the opioid epidemic, maternal health, rising rates of chronic disease, the impacts of rising suicide rates in our Nation, and how businesses can become better stewards and stakeholders in promoting community health.

Helene Gayle leads the Chicago Community Trust, an organization that, among many things, is aiming to eliminate the racial wealth gap in Chicago. She joins University of Michigan School of Public Health Dean DuBois Bowman on "Ahead of the Curve" for a conversation on leadership that spans her impressive career including the CDC, Gates Foundation and CARE, and includes anecdotes about the power of mentorship, the importance of storytelling, and how to develop effective partnerships.

In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, University of Michigan School of Public Health Dean DuBois Bowman welcomes Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan and Chief Deputy Director for Health in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). In these roles, she provides overall medical guidance for the State of Michigan as a cabinet member of the Governor, and oversees public health and aging programs, Medicaid, and behavioral health for MDHHS.

In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, University of Michigan School of Public Health Dean DuBois Bowman welcomes Dr. Julio Frenk, President of the University of Miami. Dr. Frenk shares stories of how his life experiences have fueled his mission to give back to others throughout his career in public health and higher education and reflects on lessons learned while leading a University during the coronavirus pandemic and crises of racial injustice. This interview was originally recorded on January 26, 2021 as part of the Ahead of the Curve speaker series.

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