Written by Kim Furlow, communications manager, Institute for Public Health
In service of Public Health at WashU, the Institute for Public Health announces the addition of new roles and a few staff promotions in several of its seven centers. The changes will help advance the Institute’s mission to harness the strengths of Washington University in St. Louis to address complex public health issues and disparities facing the St. Louis Region and the globe.
The Center for Community Health Partnership and Research says goodbye to co-Director, Vetta Sanders Thompson, who has been a dedicated champion to expanding community partnerships in research since 2017. Devoted to racial identity, diversity and health, Sanders Thompson continues to serve WashU as the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Brown School, among other appointments.
Center co-Director, Angela Brown, also a professor of medicine, will continue to lead the center with newly appointed co-Director, Brett Maricque, assistant professor of genetics at the McDonnell Genome Institute at the School of Medicine. Meaghan Bailey, Hilary Broughton and Anne Trolard have been named center assistant directors. The center, a collaborative effort between the Institute for Public Health and the Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences at the School of Medicine, fosters community-academic partnerships, communication and research and works to reduce disparities and improve health and wellness.
The Public Health Data and Training Center bids a fond farewell to Randi Foraker, acting director since 2018. Foraker will continue as a professor of public health at the Brown School; director of the Center for Population Health Informatics; and as a professor of medicine.
Now leading the Data Center as co-Directors, are Ben Cooper, formerly center manager, and Hilary Reno, professor of medicine. The Data Center’s mission is to engage in multi-disciplinary collaboration at WashU and with community partners to promote actionable, effective uses of data to advance population health.
The Global Health Center is pleased to announce the addition of Assistant Director, Ashley Bardon, who will work alongside Director, Victor Dávila-Román, and co-Director, Mark Huffman. A collaboration supported by the Institute for Public Health and WashU’s Department of Medicine, the Global Health Center improves global health through transdisciplinary programs and partnerships across WashU, in St. Louis and around the world.
The Institute’s Life Outside of Violence (LOV) Program welcomes Melik Coffey, a licensed mental health clinician, as program manager. Since LOV began in 2017, Coffey has served as a program case manager and mentor. In partnership with four area hospitals (within two health systems) the Life Outside of Violence program helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.