Welcoming our new director, Dr. Kathleen Neuzil

Dr. Kathleen Neuzil joined the Fogarty International Center as its 13th director on May 6, 2024. She has also been appointed associate director for international research at the National Institutes of Health.

An internationally recognized researcher, Dr. Neuzil focuses on vaccine development and vaccine introduction in low- and middle- income countries and regions. She has conducted clinical and epidemiologic studies on vaccine-preventable diseases and her scientific contributions encompass design and execution of clinical trials as well as leadership of large, multicenter field studies and vaccine implementation programs.

Dr. Neuzil's work in the field of vaccinology spans multiple infectious diseases, including influenza, rotavirus, human papillomavirus, Japanese encephalitis, typhoid, and COVID-19. She has authored or co-authored more than 340 scientific publications and has more than two decades of experience in vaccine policy. Dr. Neuzil is currently a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization and, previously, she served on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

NIH Director Dr. Monica M. Bertagnolli said, Dr. Neuzil has decades of experience in global health. Combined with her many years as a vaccine policy advisor to the CDC and the WHO, and her experience establishing new partnerships and directing diverse organization teams, she is very well suited to lead Fogarty.

Immediately prior to Fogarty, Dr. Neuzil served as the Myron M. Levine MD DTPH Professor in Vaccinology, professor of medicine and pediatrics, director of the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, and chief of the Division of Geographic Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Before this, she was a clinical professor in the departments of medicine and global health at the University of Washington in Seattle. Mentorship of the next generation of vaccine scientists has been a fundamental principle throughout her career; shes committed to academic support of her trainees at all levels.

Dr. Neuzils numerous honors and awards include Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Distinguished Alumna Award; the Sonia Skarlatos Public Service Award from the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy; and University of Maryland School of Medicine Chairmans Special Achievement Award. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, the International Society for Infectious Diseases, and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. She is also a fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Dr. Neuzil follows Dr.Roger I. Glass, Fogartys longest serving director of nearly 17 years. Dr. Peter Kilmarx, acting director, will resume his role as Fogartys deputy director.

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TheFogarty International Center, the international component of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, addresses global health challenges through innovative and collaborative research and training programs and supports and advances the NIH mission through international partnerships. We encourage you to forward this to colleagues who may find it of interest.