speakers
keynote speaker
Elizabeth Anne Bukusi MBCHB, M.MED (ObGyn), MPH, PhD, PGD, MBE (Research Ethics)
Elizabeth Anne Bukusi is a Chief Research Officer Kenya Medical Research Institute at the Centre for Microbiology Research. She is also a Research Professor at the University of Washington, Honorary Lecturer Aga Khan University Nairobi, Volunteer Clinical faculty –Professor, University of California San Francisco and Faculty at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Culture (SIUT, Karachi). Her primary areas of interest in research focus on sexually transmitted infections, reproductive health, and HIV prevention, care and treatment and capacity building for research and programs. She has a keen interest in research and clinical ethics/ research regulatory systems. She has served on the Kenya National AIDS Control Council HIV prevention task force. She currently serves on the Board of Management of the South African Medical Research Council, AVAC and IMPACT RDO and the advisory board of IAPAC. She is the chair of the board of the HRP Alliance (Research Capacity Building Initiative), a part of the WHO’s Department of Reproductive Health. She is also a member of the UNAIDS expert scientific panel, a trustee for the HIV Research Trust Fund, and an elected Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences.
conference co-sponsors
Sofia Gruskin, JD, MIA
Dr. Sofia Gruskin is the Director of USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, Professor of Preventative Medicine at Keck School of Medicine of USC and Professor of Law at USC Gould School of Law. She is a pioneer in global health and human rights, serves on multiple editorial boards and has published extensively with focus on HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health, child and adolescent health, gender-based violence, non-communicable disease and health systems.
breakout session speakers & panelists
Rupa Patel, MD, MPH, DM&H
Dr. Rupa Patel is an Assistant Professor of Medicine within the Division of Infectious Diseases at Washington University in St. Louis and is the Director of the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention (PrEP) Program. Her clinical and research interests include developing health care access for marginalized populations and she has been working extensively to gather forensic evidence of violence as well as to help deliver mental health care to Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.
Pranav Shetty, MD
Dr. Pranav Shetty is the Global Emergency Health Coordinator for the International Medical Corps and Clinical Faculty at Harbor-UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine. He has been deployed for multiple public health emergencies and epidemics in Haiti, Libya, South Sudan, Jordan, Iraq and the Philippines. For his work in leading the response on the front lines in West Africa for the Ebola outbreak, Dr. Shetty was invited as a representative of the thousands of health care workers at the 2015 State of the Union Address.
Roseanna Ander, MS
Roseanna Ander serves as the founding Executive Director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab (since 2008) and the Education Lab (since 2011), which are part of UChicago Urban Labs. In January 2010, she was appointed to the International Association of Chiefs of Police Research Advisory Committee, and she formerly served on the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission. Ms. Ander also served on the public safety transition teams for both Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner. Prior to joining UChicago, she oversaw the Joyce Foundation’s gun violence program and led the foundation’s grantmaking in early childhood education. Before working at Joyce, she was a Soros Justice Fellow with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and also worked for the Harvard Injury Control Center and the Harvard Project on Schooling and Children. Ms. Ander holds an MS from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Evelyn J. Diaz, MA
Evelyn J. Diaz is the President of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, a global anti-poverty and human rights organization based in Chicago that provides a comprehensive array of services to nearly half a million people annually in the areas of healthcare, housing, human services, and justice. She is responsible for directing domestic and global strategy and operations for Heartland Alliance’s five nonprofit corporate entities, with a combined budget of $150 million and 1,600 employees in 12 countries. Previously, Ms. Diaz was appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to lead the City of Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services where she was responsible for administering an annual budget of $330 million to deliver social service programs to over 300,000 Chicagoans in the areas of children, youth, homelessness, domestic violence, aging, workforce development and human services. Before joining Mayor Emanuel’s cabinet, Ms. Diaz was chief executive officer of the Chicago Workforce Investment Council, Deputy Chief of Staff to former Mayor Richard M. Daley, and Associate Director of the Chicago Jobs Council. She received her graduate degree from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration and her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Notre Dame (’92). Evelyn serves on the ND Advisory Council for the College of Arts & Letters. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Josh, and their daughter, Isabel.
Todd Schneberk, MD
Todd Schneberk is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, Co-Director of the USC Keck Human Rights Collaborative and Assistant Program Director of the LAC+USC Emergency Medicine Residency Program. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at LAC+USC Medical Center and his fellowship in health policy and research at UCLA. He has worked with displaced persons in Tijuana, Mexico for the last 5 years, performed forensic evals for asylum cases with Physicians for Human Rights on both sides of the border including numerous "Migrant Protection Protocols- Remain in Mexico" clients in Tijuana, advises the Office of Immigrant Affairs in Los Angeles and helps run a medico-legal partnership connecting Emergency Department patients to immigration legal services. His research and advocacy interests include social determinants of health integration, opioids, immigration status as a health barrier, and leveraging the Emergency Department to address upstream factors affecting the health and stability of vulnerable populations.
Dr. Annalisa Enrile PhD, MSW, BA
Annalisa Enrile is a professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, turning classrooms into brave spaces to train the next generation of change makers. She traces her roots back to the Philippines, where she became a human rights defender and anti-trafficking warrior. She continues to work on both sides of the Pacific and across other oceans fighting to end modern day slavery. Annalisa believes in the transformative power of stories, the strength of community and the promise of innovation and design.
Dr. Scott Allen, MD, FACP
Scott Allen is Professor Emeritus of Clinical Medicine and former Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at UC Riverside School of Medicine and Medical Director of The Access Clinic at Borrego Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center. He blew the whistle before the US Senate on the conditions of child detention at Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers, earning him the 2019 Ridenhour Prize for Truth Telling. He has previously worked with the American Medical Association and American Psychological Association to prevent illegal and unethical practices for medical providers and lead Physicians for Human Rights’ investigation into the use of torture by the US military at Abu Ghraib prison under the Bush administration and the role of medical providers.
Ahmad Tarakji, MD
Ahmad Tarakji is cardio-thoracic surgeon for Kaiser Permanente Northern California and former Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University. He is former President and current board member of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), which has provided medical care for millions of Syrians as an association representing of thousands of Syrian-American health providers. He has worked to provide trauma surgery and critical care training to Syrian health providers, has lobbied extensively to raise the profile of the humanitarian response to the Syrian crisis, and has worked with the United Nations and NGOs to coordinate the Whole of Syria response plan and medical emergency response efforts in Syria. Dr. Tarakji also works with universities across the US and Europe to establish education, relief, and post-crisis rebuilding programs for Syria.
Maryam Farzanegan, PhD
Maryam Farzanegan’s research, teaching, and personal interests focus on policies and programs related to the provision of equitable basic services for the world’s most marginalized and underserved children. She has 20 years of practical experience working with UNICEF in New York, field offices in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the UNICEF Office of Research in Florence, Italy. During her tenure with UNICEF, she served as a Health Specialist at the Health Section in UNICEF Headquarters, New York, as UNICEF’s Child Rights and Protections Advisor at the Office of Research, Florence, Italy, and as a Senior Child Rights Coordinator in Sierra Leone. Through her work with policy makers and practitioners worldwide, and through teaching at universities, she has advocated strongly for the rights of the world’s poorest and most marginalized children to health care, education, and social protection. Prior to joining UNICEF, she served as Assistant Professor of Occupational Health Sciences at the New York Institute of Technology and as Staff Research Associate in the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health. She received her Ph.D. in Education with a focus in public health from the University of Southern California. She teaches as a Clinical Associate Professor of Medical Education at the USC Keck School of Medicine, Master of Science Program in Global Medicine, and at UCLA 1in Undergraduate Global Health Studies.
Craig R. Cohen, MD, MPH
Craig R. Cohen supports UCGHI as a co-director. He is a professor in the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, and conducts research at the intersection of HIV, sexually transmitted infections and reproductive health. Since 1994, he has co-directed, along with Professor Elizabeth Bukusi, the collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) to advance the study of HIV and its intersection with reproductive health. He also directs the UCGHI GloCal Health Fellowship, a program that supports global health research opportunities to UC advanced doctoral and professional students, and UC and international post-doctoral fellows in 17 low- and middle-income countries around the world. He previously co-directed UCGHI's Center of Expertise on Women's Health & Empowerment.
Harry Cherniak, JD, MsC
Harry Cherniak has produced a number of films, including Tammy’s Always Dying (TIFF’19, Oscar-nominated Felicity Huffman), Astronaut (Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfus), Stockholm (Ethan Hawke), and The Padre (Tim Roth, Nick Nolte).
Additionally, he is the Founder and Executive Director of United in Film, an NGO that works with partner organizations and governments in low and medium resource countries to collaboratively provide filmmaking infrastructure, training, policy advice, and ongoing support. United in Film currently has projects in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. Harry is also a Co-Founder of the African Film Festival, which was launched two years ago in Kabale, Uganda by the Prime Minister of Uganda and the Governor of Kisumu, Kenya, Anyang’ Nyong’o (father of Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o).
As well, Harry currently teaches film producing at Shanghai University, is a feature film programmer for the Slamdance Film Festival, the Director of Business Affairs for Darius Films, and serves on the board of directors of the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival. He previously co-taught Medicine in Film, T.V. and the Media in USC’s Keck School of Medicine’s MSc in Global Medicine.
Harry practiced corporate law for four years in Toronto at Torys LLP, and holds a J.D. (University of Toronto), an MSc with Distinction (London School of Economics), and a BA in Honours Business Administration with Distinction (Western University’s Ivey Business School).
Dr. Randall Hyer, MD, PhD, MPH
Dr. Hyer leads medical affairs at Dynavax Technologies. He has a decade’s experience in the private sector as a global health care executive. His responsibilities have included managing crises, helping develop vaccines and biologics, directing vaccine and pharmaceutical safety programs, and facilitating investor relations. His perspective and contributions span 7 continents and 100 plus countries in diverse positions across the public and private sectors.Dr. Hyer graduated with Distinction from the US Naval Academy. Rising to the rank of Commander, he served 12 years naval service supporting 4 major military combat operations. His humanitarian service includes being Chief Public Health Advisor for the Kosovo relief operations and the Deputy Surgeon for the Mozambique flood relief effort. Dr. Hyer also served as the Winter-Over Medical Officer at the McMurdo and South Pole Stations, Antarctica. From 2001-2005, Dr. Hyer was a World Health Organization Medical Officer and Military Liaison in Geneva. Among other duties, he facilitated the WHO respond to various crisis such as anthrax, Ebola, SARS, tsunamis, earthquakes, and pandemic influenza.
Nancy Durrell McKenna
Nancy Durrell McKenna is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker, with a passion for women's global health. She has spent most of her professional life working across the world, documenting the lives, rituals and traditions of women and their families.
Nancy is Founder Director of SafeHands, (2003) a UK NGO that puts sexual and reproductive health information into the hands of girls, women and men to enable them to make full, free and informed choices about their bodies and lives. SafeHands uses the power of film, photography and digital technology to overcome the barriers of language and literacy and reach rural communities with vital information. Working with global, national, and local partners, we address critical issues, including Female Genital Mutilation, Child Marriage and Period Poverty- films that empower, educate, and inspire audiences. www.safehands.org
Omai Garner, PhD
Dr. Omai Garner is an Associate Clinical Professor and Section Chief of Clinical Microbiology in the UCLA Health System. He received his PhD from UC San Diego in Biomedical Sciences. He was a Postdoctoral Clinical Microbiology CPEP Fellow in the Department of Pathology at UCLA, and a former McNair Scholar. Dr. Garner is Board Certified by the American Board of Medical Microbiology. Dr. Garner's research focuses on novel Point of Care Devices for infectious disease diagnosis in the developing world. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Social Justice Learning Institute of Inglewood, California.
Anita Raj
Anita Raj is a Tata Chancellor Professor of Society and Health. She is a Professor in both the Departments of Medicine and Education Studies and the Director of the Center on Gender Equity and Health (GEH). Her research, including both epidemiologic and intervention studies, focuses on sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health, and gender inequalities including gender-based violence. She has also conducted research on gender disparities in retention and advancement in academic medicine. Dr. Raj has over 200 peer-reviewed publications, and her work has been featured in major media outlets in the US, the UK and in India. She has served as an advisor to UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and was invited to speak at the UN General Assembly on the issue of child marriage. Currently, she is helping spearhead an upcoming Lancet series on Gender Equality and Health, where she is analyzing gender inequalities in health systems.
Wael Al-Delaimy, MD, PhD
Dr. Wael Al-Delaimy, MD, PhD is a Professor and Chief of the Division of Global Health in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Al-Delaimy is a multidisciplinary epidemiologist with a medical background and interest in the epidemiology of chronic diseases, tobacco, and diet. He has worked in the US/Mexico border area on pesticide biomarkers, and soil and water contamination as Co-director of Community Engagement Core for the UCSD Superfund Project. He is also pursuing projects in India about the influence of indoor air pollution from cookstoves on health of women. He is Director of the NIH Fogarty International Center Training Program in International Research Ethics based in Jordan which is focused on building research methods capacity in Jordan the Middle East Region, with a focus on research ethics, non-communicable diseases and epidemiology. He is collaborating an assessment of mental health among Iraqi refugees and Hispanic immigrants aims at understanding the prevalence and risk factors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among mothers and their children in San Diego. This work is now being extended to the Middle East through the Middle East Consortium on Mental Health.
Dr. Dalia Balsamo, MD, FAPA
Dalia Balsamo, MD, FAPA is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, Riverside, and is triple boarded in child, adolescent, adult, and forensic psychiatry. She provides clinical and forensic psychiatric services for the county of Riverside. She is the TAY Outpatient Site Director for the UCR Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program. Prior to this, she served as Associate Program Director and Site Director for the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Rotation for the UCR Psychiatry Residency Program. She has also served as Psychotherapy Training Director for the UCR Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Balsamo has provided pro bono forensic psychiatric evaluations for asylum seekers throughout her residency at the University of Miami and her forensic psychiatry fellowship at the Yale Law & Psychiatry Division. She continues her pro bono work as a member of the Physicians for Human Rights’ Asylum Network. She is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and serves on several committees as a member of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. She is currently pursuing a certificate in Global Mental Health through the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma. She has given talks and published on the subject of refugee assessment and immigration.
Spencer Feliciano-Lyons, MBA
Spencer is a decorated combat veteran. Before pursing an MBA at UCLA Anderson School of Management, he served for seven years as a helicopter pilot in the US Army. Over his military career, Spencer held positions in General Management, Logistics, and Operations. He deployed overseas twice – nine months to Afghanistan and nine to Eastern Europe. Spencer excelled at working cross-culturally and led the operations planning with partners in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania during his deployment to Europe. His military awards include the Army Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and Army Achievement Medal. This past summer, Spencer interned with Amazon as part of their Finance Leadership Development Program where he drove new product launch decisions in the Amazon Web Services Division. In his free time, Spencer enjoys learning languages, hiking Southern California trails, competing in triathlons, and training for his first marathon.
Connie Jiang, MBA
Fueled by her passion for storytelling and democratizing access to information, Connie has worked in both public media and tech. Before matriculating at UCLA Anderson School of Management, Connie worked at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting where she developed industry-wide strategic plans, spearheaded major research initiatives, and implemented measurement processes to assess the company’s SROIs. Prior to that role, Connie supported fundraising efforts at Rocky Mountain PBS and managed relationships with major donors who accounted for over $1.2 million. This past summer, Connie interned at Facebook in Product Data Operations where she worked with product teams to build and train machine learning models. Outside the classroom, Connie enjoys hip-hop dancing, searching for the best pie (blueberry is her favorite), and watching old western films.