Welcoming Dr. Jeffrey Koplan and Dr. Amelie Ramirez to the CDC Foundation Board of Directors
Board members play essential roles in non-profit organizations, and we are incredibly grateful to our board at the CDC Foundation. These individuals provide their time and guidance to help ensure that while working with our donors we extend CDC’s lifesaving work in the United States and across the globe.
Today, it is an honor for me to announce our newest CDC Foundation Board Members, Jeffrey Koplan, MD, MPH, vice president for Global Health at Emory University, and Amelie Ramirez, DrPH, MPH, professor and chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. These extraordinary public health experts have each been elected to a five-year term on the board of directors to help guide and support the mission of our crucial work.
Dr. Koplan and Dr. Ramirez have enjoyed inspiring careers both globally and domestically while showing unrelenting dedication to improving the public’s health through their work. Their vast experience will enhance our mission, especially as we continue our fight against COVID-19.
Dr. Koplan is a former director and 26-year veteran of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He has worked on virtually every major public health issue, including infectious diseases such as smallpox and HIV/AIDS, environmental issues such as the Bhopal chemical disaster, and the health toll of tobacco and chronic diseases around the globe. He founded the Emory Global Health Institute in 2006 and served as its director until March 2013 and continues his involvement as the university’s vice president for Global Health.
Dr. Ramirez is an internationally recognized health disparities researcher at UT Health San Antonio, where she is professor and chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research. She has 30 years of experience conducting behavioral and communications projects to reduce cancer, increase screening rates and clinical trial participation, prove the efficacy of patient navigation for cancer patients, prevent tobacco use and improve healthy lifestyles among U.S. Latinos.
Our board of directors are a diverse group of experts that all bring unique knowledge and a commitment to upholding the work of CDC to save lives and protect people. I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Koplan and Dr. Ramirez and look forward to working with them. As we face new challenges in public health, I am certain their contributions will be immeasurable.
