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| Gratitude and holiday greetings | As we celebrate the holiday season, I want to express my deep gratitude to each and every member of the Emory Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC) team and to acknowledge your hard work and many accomplishments in 2023.
Throughout my first year at Emory, you have demonstrated an abiding commitment to achieving our mission and fostering a culture of excellence. I see it in the experience of every single person I meet and in the way we all work together. I continue to be impressed by the talent here at Emory, and I’m thrilled we have recruited additional outstanding talent both from within our own ranks and from top institutions across the country.
There’s a real energy here at Emory—a sense of purpose and the talent to make it happen—and I’m excited to be part of it. Over the past year, our extraordinary people, individually and collaboratively, have effected substantive transformation in the world and have had meaningful positive impact on the lives of others, and I have every reason to believe we’ll accelerate that momentum in 2024.
This has been a year of transition, and I appreciate your support and dedication to WHSC and our vision for the future. Together over the past year, we have weathered our share of challenges, yet we have continued to provide extraordinary care that is recognized by many national and international ranking systems as among the finest anywhere; shattered our own research funding record; and attracted the brightest and most diverse students from across the world. We have achieved a lot in 2023, and you have embraced change in a way that positions us for greater success in the years to come.
Looking ahead, I am energized at the promise of 2024 and the goals we have set for our institution. We will continue to grow and rededicate ourselves to providing world-class care and fostering an environment and culture that make us unique.
Best wishes to you, your families, and your loved ones for a happy holiday season and a healthy new year, and thanks, as always, for all that you do. I look forward to building a terrific future with you in 2024!
Kind regards,
Ravi
Ravi I. Thadhani, MD, MPH
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Emory University
Executive Director, Woodruff Health Sciences Center
Vice Chair, Emory Healthcare Board of Directors
Please direct questions and comments to evphafeedback@emory.edu. | |
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|  | Our People | According to the World Health Organization’s latest Global Tuberculosis Report, an estimated 10.6 million people worldwide were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in 2022, and 1.3 million died. As Neel Gandhi (pictured above, far right), associate professor of epidemiology, global health, and infectious diseases at the Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) and the School of Medicine (SOM) and co-director of the Emory/Georgia Tuberculosis Research Advancement Center (TRAC), so eloquently phrases it, “TB is and has been the leading infectious disease cause of death worldwide for the past decade, and it is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV. This remains true, even though TB has been with humankind for millennia and has been preventable and curable for more than 60 years.”
Gandhi continues, “The focus of my research group is to better understand TB transmission, genetic and immune mechanisms of protection against TB infection, and mechanisms by which TB becomes resistant to medications. I have been fortunate to see the new knowledge that we have generated related to TB transmission, drug-resistant TB, and TB/HIV co-infection become translated into local, national, and international policies. Although it took hard work for many years, in the end our research has impacted thousands of lives.”
He attributes much of that success to Emory’s collegial culture: “The academic environment at Emory has played an important role in my success and happiness. Emory is a very collaborative environment, where there are few, if any, barriers to connect with other investigators,” he says.
His colleague Sarita Shah (pictured above, second from left), associate professor of epidemiology, global health, and infectious diseases and co-director of TRAC’s Clinical and Population Science Core, concurs, saying, “My research focuses on improving treatment and prevention for complex forms of TB in high-burden settings, including drug-resistant TB and TB/HIV co-infection. All of my studies involve multi-disciplinary teams of investigators, trainees, and technical staff, which is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work. I am constantly learning from my colleagues and, together, I hope that we can answer the most pressing questions about TB so we can end suffering from the world’s leading infectious disease killer.”
RSPH Dean Dani Fallin (pictured above, far left) says the efforts of Gandhi, Shah, and their teammates are critical to Rollins’ mission of delivering public health for all. “Under Dr. Gandhi’s leadership, Emory has spearheaded the creation of the Emory/Georgia Tuberculosis Research Center, one of six NIH funded research sites across the country,” she says. “His work as the co-director, along with Dr. Shah’s leadership as a core director, means they are facilitating new research collaborations, both domestically and globally, inspiring and supporting the next generation of researchers, and working with community partners to eradicate one of the most persistent, and deadliest, diseases of all time.”
Thank you, Neel, Sarita, and Dani for helping us improve lives and provide hope!
To nominate a colleague to be featured in an upcoming segment of Our People, please email me at evphafeedback@emory.edu and let me know what makes them special. | |
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|  | | Katzowitz named WHSC associate vice president for communications | Brian Katzowitz has been named the associate vice president for communications at the WHSC. Katzowitz replaces Vince Dollard, who retired in October. Katzowitz joined Emory in 2022 as the senior director of health communications and media relations. Previously he served as a press officer and communications lead at the CDC where he oversaw public affairs efforts around foodborne disease outbreaks, HIV prevention, and the Zika Virus Response. Katzowitz has also worked at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Arthritis Foundation. A 2011 graduate of American University’s Health Promotion Management Master’s Program, Katzowitz also holds an undergraduate degree in public relations from the University of Georgia.
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| | |  | | Castellano named president of Emory Healthcare Physician Division | Penny Castellano has been named president of the Emory Healthcare Physician Division, a newly created position, as well as interim director of Emory Clinic. The new role will oversee the alignment of Emory’s outpatient clinics with its 11 hospitals. In a new system alignment structure for Emory Healthcare, Castellano will work closely with two additional recently named division presidents -- Heather Dexter, president of the Emory Healthcare Regional Hospital Division and Matt Wain, president of the Emory Healthcare University Hospital Division. They will all work together with their teams to focus on a seamless continuum of care for patients across the health care system. Read more.
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|  | | ESJH achieves seventh consecutive Magnet designation | Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital is the first community hospital and one of only two hospitals in the world to achieve its seventh consecutive Magnet designation. The hospital also is the first to be awarded Magnet with Distinction. Magnet designation is a reflection of nursing professionalism, teamwork and quality in patient care, and the highest national honor for professional nursing practice. Read more.
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| | |  | | Podcast spotlights WHSC educational leaders | Woodruff Health Educators Academy (WHEA)'s podcast, Educational Landscapes: Lessons from Leaders, spotlights educators and education leaders working in various units and levels across the WHSC. Hosted by Ulemu Luhanga, WHEA co-director, each episode features individuals sharing their journeys and advice for aspiring educators and leaders. Access the podcasts here.
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|  | | New program to improve health equity by accelerating disease diagnostic research | Striving to ensure advanced medical technologies are reaching the populations who need them most, Emory’s Center for the Advancement of Diagnostics for a Just Society (ADJUST) is launching this year as part of NIH’s RADx program. The ADJUST Center will serve as both a think tank focusing on the advancement of future disease diagnosis through research and advocacy, as well as a technology foundry to accelerate diagnostic development. Read more.
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| | |  | | Emory Healthcare becomes another top-ranked medical center in federated data network | Emory Healthcare is joining forces with nference, a health care data software company, to expand access to diverse, aggregated, de-identified data with the goal of accelerating groundbreaking research, disease diagnoses, and new treatments. This collaboration aligns with a shared mission to advance knowledge, promote innovation, and improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities worldwide. Read more.
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|  | | SON, Carter Center appoint position in global mental health nursing, workforce development | The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing (SON) and The Carter Center’s Mental Health Program have appointed psychiatric mental health nurse educator and researcher Aparna Kumarto to a joint faculty position focused on enhancing global mental health nursing and workforce development. Kumar will be an associate clinical professor, teaching psychiatric mental health nursing courses, mentoring students, and providing nurse education expertise to The Carter Center’s behavioral health workforce development activities in low- and middle-income countries. Read more.
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| | |  | | Emory faculty recognized among world's most influential researchers | Nine Emory faculty were recently recognized as part of an elite group of the world’s most influential scientists by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). Selections were made by ISI’s bibliometrics experts, chosen through a process that includes the number of times their work is cited in the Science Citation Index and the Social Sciences Citation Index. The Emory researchers are: Rafi Ahmed, Matthew Freeman, Terry Jacobson, Yang Liu, Andrew Miller, George Painter, Suresh Ramalingam, Kerry Ressler, and Mehul Suthar. Read more.
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|  | | Emory AI.Health Symposium draws large crowd | Emory's inaugural AI.Health Symposium, hosted by the newly established Emory Empathetic AI for Health Institute, drew more than 450 attendees. Some sessions focused on AI’s clinical potential in areas like health care diagnosis, genomics, and pathology, while others examined AI’s impact on medical privacy and security or the challenge of creating databases free of bias. Difficult, troublesome issues AI researchers will need to face were addressed in the symposium’s program, alternating with discussions about medical innovations. Read more.
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| | |  | | Symposium addresses maternal health crisis in Georgia | A new symposium—hosted by Emory, Morehouse School of Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, and Research!America—brought together stakeholders from across health care, state and federal governments, community partners, and advocacy groups to collaboratively identify opportunities to improve maternal and newborn health in Georgia. More than 250 people attended the symposium, which featured a keynote address by Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey. Read more.
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|  | | Emory Healthcare Network and Peachtree Immediate Care continue collaboration | Peachtree Immediate Care will remain the dedicated urgent care provider for the Emory Healthcare Network. The two organizations recently signed a new long-term agreement to continue their collaborative relationship. When Peachtree Immediate Care became a member of the Emory Healthcare Network in 2016, it had 16 locations in metro-Atlanta. Since then, the urgent care company has grown to more than 50 locations across Atlanta and other nearby regions, and more locations are opening soon in underserved areas. Read more.
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| | |  | | SON studies online tool for caregivers of persons with dementia | When family members and friends begin caregiving for a loved one with dementia, their attention is immediately drawn to how best to manage their person’s day-to-day health and well-being. What is less apparent is how many health care, legal, financial, social service, and family systems they will need to navigate along the way—and how daunting it can be for those without previous experience. To address this issue, the SON is studying an online tool’s capacity to increase caregiver mastery. Read more.
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| |  | | Sean Dresser, physics operations manager for photon sites in the Department of Radiation Oncology, was named vice chair of the Therapy Physics Committee for the American Association for Physicists in Medicine.
Rachel Hall-Clifford, RSPH assistant professor, is the 2023 Jeffrey P. Koplan Global Health Award recipient. Read more.
Wilbur Lam, professor of biomedical engineering, Susan Margulies, chair of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Cassandra Quave, medical ethnobotanist, were selected as National Academy of Inventors Fellows, the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. The full list of 2023 Fellows can be found here.
Nabil Saba, Winship medical oncologist, was named associate editor of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Jessica Wells, SON assistant professor, will serve as president-elect of the board of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health beginning January 1. | |
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| | January 8 | Poetry and Medicine: A Juxtaposition. Join us for an engaging and interactive session that will challenge and enrich your perspective on poetry and medicine. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and creative writing Jericho Brown will introduce the power of juxtaposition. This literary technique places two or more things side by side to create contrast and meaning. James B. Medical Education Building Auditorium 120, 4 – 4:45 pm. Register here.
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| | | | January 24 – 25 | The 2024 Georgia Cancer Summit. Co-hosted by Winship, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium, Georgia CORE, and Georgia Department of Public Health, the summit is designed for public health professionals, health care providers, health advocates, researchers, community-based organizations, and others committed to improving cancer health equity in Georgia through cancer prevention and community-engaged research. Middle Georgia State University, 100 University Pkwy, Macon, Georgia. Register and learn more.
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