Making a World of Difference: Global Health Research Is Focus of SOM's 2019 Festival of Science
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"This year, I’m delighted that we will showcase the incredible work that our faculty conduct, which not only improves – but saves the lives of millions of patients worldwide. As we focus today’s presentations on key projects in our Global Health Research portfolio, we do so while remembering our connectivity to our “neighbors,” whether they live around the corner or half-way around the world.”
With these words, School of Medicine Dean Dr. Albert Reece, who is also the Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, kicked off the seventh annual Festival of Science on November 21, 2019. The daylong celebration of innovative research by School of Medicine scientists, held in the school’s Leadership Hall, featured a series of nine faculty presentations focusing on the theme of “Global Health Research.”
The daylong festival began with a stirring keynote presentation by Dr. Samba Sow, director general of the Center for Vaccine Development-Mali (CVD-Mali), a collaboration with the School of Medicine that was launched in 2001, and which today resides within the Ministry of Health of Mali. Dr. Sow also is an adjunct professor of medicine at the School of Medicine. Speaking to the need to address disease on a worldwide scale, he said, “Pathogens know no borders. Now is the time to come together to form a global team. CVD and CVD-Mali have a vision to create a research partnership that could in real time provide rigorous evidence to drive the improvement of health outcomes through policy change.”