This event is sponsored by:
4TH ANNUAL
Global Health Equity Summit THE QUEST FOR GLOBAL HEALTH EQUITY Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. David Satcher
October 7–8, 2026 Morehouse School of Medicine Calvin Smyre Education Conference Center
We need leaders who first CARE enough. We need leaders who LEARN enough. We need leaders who DO enough. We need leaders who will PERSEVERE until the job is done. – David Satcher, MD, PhD
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A Public Health Leader DAVID SATCHER, MD PhD David Satcher, MD, PhD, is the Founding Director and Senior Advisor of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine, which he helped establish in 2006. His mission is to cultivate diverse health leaders, support comprehensive health strategies and advocate for policies to reduce health disparities. Satcher served as the 16th U.S. Surgeon General (1998-2002) and the 10th Assistant Secretary for Health (1998-2001), holding both positions simultaneously. He also directed the CDC and administered the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, making him the only person to have done so. After his term as Surgeon General, he became Director of the National Center for Primary Care and later president of Morehouse School of Medicine. Satcher has held leadership roles at Charles R. Drew University and Meharry Medical College and has received over 50 honorary degrees and numerous awards, including the Benjamin E. Mays Trailblazer Award and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award. He has also served on various boards, including Johnson & Johnson and the CDC Foundation. Satcher graduated from Morehouse College in 1963 and earned his MD and PhD from Case Western Reserve University. He is an active member of several honor societies and academies and is known for his advocacy of healthy lifestyles.
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Program OCTOBER 7, 2026 RECEPTION & CELEBRATION DINNER 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Calvin Smyre Education Building Master of Ceremonies: Jonathan Martin 5 p.m.
RECEPTION & GUEST ARRIVAL 5:30 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER & WELCOME Jonathan Martin, MC SPECIAL TRIBUTE OPENING PRAYER | INNVOCATION Dr. Crawford DINNER SERVICE BEGINS 6 p.m.
INTRODUCTION OF TUSKEGEE AIRMEN GLOBAL ACADEMY STUDENTS Dr. Barney S. Graham & Jacqueline Thrash
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Program 6:15 p.m.
STUDENT ART & POETRY PRESENTATION Tuskegee Airmen Academy Students, Principal & Staff 6:25 p.m.
SPECIAL TRANSITION Jonathan Martin, MC 6:30 p.m.
CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF DR. DAVID SATCHER 6:45 p.m.
CULTURAL PERFORMANCE Giwayen Mata 7 p.m.
INTRODUCTION OF DR. KIZZMEKIA CORBETT Dr. Barney S. Graham
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7:15 p.m.
FEATURED CONVERSATION Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett 7:45 p.m.
CLOSING REFLECTIONS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Jonathan Martin, MC / Satcher Institute for Health Equity Leadership 8:00 p.m.
PROGRAM CONCLUDES
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Program OCTOBER 8, 2026 4TH ANNUAL GLOBAL HEALTH EQUITY SUMMIT “The Quest for Global Health Equity” Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. David Satcher Moderated by Dr. LaShannon Spencer 8–9 a.m.
BREAKFAST 9 a.m.–9:10 a.m.
WELCOMING REMARKS Dr. Barney S. Graham Director of the David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute 9:10 a.m.–9:20 a.m.
INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS Dr. Valerie Montgomery-Rice President & CEO Morehouse School of Medicine 9:20 a.m.–10 a.m.
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION Fireside chat with Dr. Helene D. Gayle
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10 a.m.–10:15 a.m.
DAVID SATCHER AWARD 10:15 a.m.–10:45 a.m.
PRESENTATION “To Conquer Deaths in Childbirth: International Progress and Future Prospects” Dr. Natalia Kanem, Distinguished Scholar, City University of New York (CUNY), Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy 10:45 a.m.–11 a.m.
BREAK 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
PANEL DISCUSSION “Tributes to Dr. Satcher and his quest for global health equity” Dr. Mark L. Rosenberg, former President and CEO of The Task Force for Global Health Dr. James E. K. Hildreth, President and CEO, Meharry Medical College Rev. Dr. Cynthia Wood, Pastor, Dayspring Community Church, Lanham, Maryland Moderated by Dr. Maisha Standifer
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12 p.m.–12:30 p.m.
PRESENTATION “Building Engagement Infrastructure for Global Mental Health Equity” Dr. Mardoche Sidor, Chief Medical Officer, Urban Pathways in New York City, and Founder and CEO of the SWEET Institute 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
LUNCH AND NETWORKING 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
PANEL DISCUSSION “The Future of Global Health” Dr. Natalia Kanem Richard Gooden, MBA, Director, Center of Excellence for Digital Health, MSM Sherilyn Francis, MPH, MSBT, PhD researcher Georgia Institute of Technology Dr. Scott J.N. McNabb, Adjunct Professor, Rollins School of Public Health Moderated by Dr. Chima Ohuabunwo 2:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
PRESENTATION “WAGMC as a Model for Overcoming Genomics Inequity in Africa” Dr. Solomon Ofori-Acquah, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and Director of Solve Sickle, Professor of Pediatrics at Emory and MSM MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
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3 p.m.–3:15 p.m.
BREAK 3:15 p.m.–4:15 p.m.
PANEL DISCUSSION “MSM Learners Global Experiences” Ayomide Olayiwola, Costa Rica University for Peace Gabriela Seplovich, India Siddha Medicine Elective Arianna Woods, Sydnae Becton, Rwanda University of Global Health Equity Moderated by Dr. Gilberte Bastien 4:15 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
CLOSING REMARKS
Give Now!
Thank you to the McLellan Family Foundation for sponsoring this event. We are also very appreciative of the Croel Family Foundation inaugural gift to launch the Global Health Equity Institute. Please use the QR code to donate to our work.
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Speakers Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire is one of the world’s leading vaccine scientists and viral immunologists. As the Melvin J. and Geraldine L. Glimcher Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Freeman Hrabowski Scholar, she leads a research program focused on understanding human immune responses to viral pathogens and translating those discoveries into next-generation vaccines. Over nearly two decades, Dr. Corbett-Helaire has helped redefine modern vaccinology through innovations that have advanced vaccines and antibody therapies against some of the world’s most pressing infectious diseases. Her patented technologies underpin vaccines developed by Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Novavax, as well as Eli Lilly’s COVID-19 antibody therapies. Most notably, her foundational coronavirus research at the National Institutes of Health helped enable the unprecedented rapid development of one of the first COVID-19 vaccines. Beyond the laboratory, Dr. Corbett-Helaire is a nationally recognized leader in science communication, mentorship, and public engagement. Named one of TIME’s 2021 Heroes of the Year, she is committed to advancing scientific discovery while inspiring the next generation of scientists and strengthening public trust in biomedical research.
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Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG, is the sixth President of Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and the first woman in history to lead the free-standing medical institution, where she serves as both the President and CEO. Her tenure at MSM began in 2011, when she was appointed Dean and Executive Vice President. A renowned infertility specialist and researcher, Dr. Montgomery Rice held faculty positions and leadership roles at various health centers, including academic health centers. Most notably, she was the founding Director of the Center for Women’s Health Research at Meharry Medical College, one of the nation’s first research centers devoted to studying diseases that disproportionately impact women of color. A passionate advocate for health equity, Dr. Montgomery Rice lends her vast experience and talents to a number of nonprofit and corporate boards such as: the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Advisory Board, Board of Directors for UnitedHealth Group, Wellpath, 23&Me, Nemours, Chartis Health Equity Advisory Board, Georgia Research Alliance, CARE USA, Josiah Macy Jr Foundation, Moffit Cancer Center (Institute), and serves as a special Advisor to the Chairman, CEO and Board of Directors of GeoVax Labs, Inc. Among her efforts are the Danforth Dialogues podcast series: Leadership Lessons from the Frontlines of The Pandemic, which serves as a resource for faculty, staff, students, and the wider academic and professional community. She was appointed to the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science by President Joe Biden in March 2022. Dr. Montgomery Rice was appointed in 2021 by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to serve on the Georgia Commission on Women, where she utilizes her expertise and knowledge to improve the lives of women and their families. The National Medical Association (NMA) bestowed its highest honor upon her, the Scroll of Merit Award (2023). She was listed among STAT’s 46 influential and important people in health, medicine, and science; selected as Georgia Trend Magazines 100 Most Influential Georgians from 2016-2018, and again in 2021 & 2022; received the National Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award from National Medical Fellowships, Inc. (NMF, 2022); a recipient of the W. Montague Cobb Lifetime Achievement Award by the Cobb/NMA Health Institute (2022); and selected as the National Medical Association OB/GYN 2019 Legend of the Section Award. Her memberships in the Horatio Alger Association and the National Academy of Medicine highlight her distinguished career.
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Barney S. Graham is an infectious diseases physician and scientist. He has a BA from Rice University, MD from the University of Kansas, and PhD from Vanderbilt University. He retired as Deputy Director of the NIAID Vaccine Research Center in 2021 and is now Professor and Director of the David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine. He is an inventor of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies approved for human use to prevent or treat RSV, COVID-19, and Ebola. He has authored >550 scientific publications and is an elected member of the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Inventors. He is an inductee of the National Inventors Hall-of-Fame and has received multiple awards for the advancement of science. Time magazine recognized him as one of the world’s 100 most influential individuals and a Hero of the Year in 2021 and as one of the 100 most influential in health in 2024. Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH, was the 11th president of Spelman College until November 2024. Dr. Gayle previously served as president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations. Under her leadership, the Trust adopted a new strategic focus on closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap in the Chicago region. For almost a decade, Dr. Gayle was president and CEO of CARE, a leading international humanitarian organization. A pediatrician and public health physician with expertise in economic development, humanitarian, and health issues; she spent 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control, working primarily on HIV/AIDS. She led the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s programs on HIV/AIDS and other global health issues. Dr. Gayle has served on public company and nonprofit boards, including The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate Palmolive, Organon, Palo Alto Networks, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Brookings Institution, Center for Strategic and International Studies, New America and the ONE Campaign. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, Council on Foreign Relations, American Public Health Association, National Medical Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics. She was awarded the Chicago Mayor’s Medal of Honor for her work on COVID relief and recovery for the city. Named one of Forbes’“100 Most Powerful Women” and one of NonProfit Times’“Power and Influence Top 50,” she has authored numerous articles on global and domestic public health issues, poverty alleviation, gender equality, and wealth inequity. Dr. Gayle is from Buffalo, N.Y. She earned a B.A. in psychology at Barnard College, an M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.P.H. at Johns Hopkins University. She is a tenured Full Professor in the Department of Environmental and Health Sciences at Spelman College and has received 18 honorary degrees. She also holds faculty appointments at the University of Washington and Emory University. MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
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Professor Natalia Kanem, MD MPH, has devoted her life’s efforts to improving the health and wellbeing of women and children, leveraging her expertise in medicine, philanthropy and diplomacy. Named a Distinguished Scholar by the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy in 2025, in a career spanning four decades her work has focused on the advancement of reproductive health for women and girls, and support for human rights, bodily autonomy and the dignity of all. A world-recognized leader in public health and philanthropy, Dr Kanem was appointed United Nations Under-Secretary-General from 2017 to 2025. During her concurrent tenure as the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), she successfully mobilized the requisite talent along with billions of dollars in resources, to harness the power of population data towards effective, far-reaching international programs that reached millions of women and girls by improving health systems, providing voluntary contraception, reducing maternal mortality, and advocating for an end to gender-based violence, female genital mutilation and child marriage. Professor Kanem currently co-chairs the Lancet Commission on 21st-Century Global Health Threats. This independent expert research body examines critical global health challenges that have a significant impact on human physical and mental health, using a long-term lens through the year 2100. Dr Kanem previously served as a Senior Associate of the Lloyd Best Institute of the Caribbean, founding president of The ELMA Philanthropies, and deputy vice president for peace and social justice programs at the Ford Foundation. She has held faculty appointments at the Columbia University and Johns Hopkins schools of medicine and public health, and received academic honors from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the City University of New York, and the University of Benin (Nigeria), among others. She is the recipient of numerous honorary Chieftancies and awards from communities and institutions across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas, including the lifetime achievement medal of the International Conference on Family Planning. A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College in History and Science, Dr Kanem became involved in promoting women’s rights in 1975, as a student delegate to the first UN World Conference on Women in Mexico City. She is a graduate of the Columbia University medical school and the University of Washington School of Public Health, with advanced degrees in tropical medicine, epidemiology and maternal-child health. Mark Rosenberg, MD, MPP, was president and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Task Force for Global Health from 2000-2016. Under Dr. Rosenberg’s leadership, The Task Force grew to be one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the country, and in 2016 won the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Humanitarian Prize, the MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
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world’s largest annual humanitarian award. Dr. Rosenberg’s leadership was characterized by a commitment to collaboration and compassion in global health. He co-authored Real Collaboration: What Global Health Needs to Succeed, which describes a model for global health collaboration that has been successfully applied to address health needs affecting the world’s most impoverished people. While Dr. Rosenberg was president and CEO, The Task Force was instrumental in providing people in the developing world with greater access to vaccines for influenza, cholera, and other deadly diseases, and medicines for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases. Dr. Rosenberg also was an influential voice in persuading the United Nations (UN) to recognize road safety as a public health issue, at the time only the second such declaration that the UN had made. After 16 years of Dr. Rosenberg’s leadership, The Task Force was awarded the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the world’s largest annual humanitarian award presented to a nonprofit organization judged to have made extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering. Before joining The Task Force, Dr. Rosenberg served for 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including conducting early work in smallpox eradication, enteric diseases, and HIV/AIDS. He was instrumental in establishing CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. His areas of expertise include infectious diseases, mental health, epidemiology, motor vehicle injuries, firearm injuries, suicide, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault. He became the first permanent director of the injury center in 1994, serving as director and Assistant Surgeon General. Dr. Rosenberg is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and served on the boards of several non-profit organizations and academic institutions, including the Georgia Global Health Alliance, which he helped start, the International Association of Trans Bodybuilders and Powerlifters, and the Emory Brain Health Center. He also served as director of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. He is boardcertified in both psychiatry and neurology and internal medicine with training in public policy and infectious diseases. He served on the faculty and Visiting Committee of the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, and on the faculty of Emory University School of Medicine, the Rollins School of Public Health, and Morehouse School of Medicine. He also chaired the Advisory Board of the Georgia State School of Public Health. He wrote two books, Patients: The Experience of Illness and Howard Hiatt: How this Extraordinary Mentor Transformed Health with Science and Compassion, and co-edited Violence in America: A Public Health Approach. He is married to Jill Rosenberg and has two children and two grandchildren.
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James E.K. Hildreth, PhD, MD is the 12th president and chief executive officer of Meharry Medical College, the nation’s largest private, independent historically black academic health sciences center. Dr. Hildreth obtained a B.A. in chemistry from Harvard University and was selected as the first African-American Rhodes Scholar from Arkansas. He obtained a Ph.D. in immunology from Oxford University where his studies focused on the biology of virus-specific cytotoxic T cells. Dr. Hildreth also became an expert in monoclonal antibody technology and cell adhesion molecules while at Oxford. He obtained an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and took a leave of absence from medical school for a postdoctoral fellowship in pharmacology at Johns Hopkins. In 1987, Dr. Hildreth joined the Johns Hopkins School of faculty as assistant professor. He was appointed as the first associate dean for graduate studies at Johns Hopkins in 1994. In 2002, Dr. Hildreth became the first African American in the 125-year history of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to earn full professorship with tenure in basic sciences. In July 2005, Dr. Hildreth became director of the NIH-funded Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research at Meharry Medical College. In August of 2011, Dr. Hildreth became dean of the College of Biological Sciences at University of California, Davis. He was the first AfricanAmerican dean in the university, which was founded in 1905. He was also appointed as a tenured professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology as well as professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in the UC Davis School of Medicine. Dr. Hildreth’s seven years as Meharry president have been impactful and transformative. The College’s extramural research funding base has tripled, from $28 million to $86 million. The first new school in more than 80 years, School of Applied Computational Sciences, was launched. A Physician Assistant program received accreditation and will begin in 2023. He has led a capital campaign launched in 2020 that has raised more than $120 million of a $200 million goal, including major gifts of $38 million (Bloomberg) and $20 million (McKenzie Scott). A number of innovative partnerships have been launched including State of Tennessee-supported training programs to increase the number of physicians and dentists serving rural communities in the state. Dr. Hildreth’s research in immunology and virology, with a focus on HIV, has resulted in more than 110 publications in top journals and 11 patents. He has received numerous NIH grants to support his research including a prestigious NIH Director’s Pioneer Award. A technology developed by Dr. Hildreth was licensed by Genentech as the basis for the FDA approved drug Raptiva. Dr. Hildreth has received numerous awards for his research, commitment to diversity in medicine, biomedical research and service to communities. His recognitions include honorary degrees, induction into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, the Johns Hopkins University Society of Scholars and election to the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine), part of the National Academy MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
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of Sciences. In 2022 he was named “Nashvillian of the Year” by Nashville Scene magazine for his leadership in the COVID-19 pandemic response and one the “Fifty Most Influential Clinical Leaders” by Modern Healthcare. Dr. Hildreth was recently named one of the 46 most influential leaders in life science and medicine by STAT. Dr. Hildreth has been appointed as temporary voting member to two FDA advisory committees: Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) and Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee (AMDAC), these panels review COVID-19 vaccines and drugs respectively for approval. In February of 2021, he was appointed by President Biden to the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force. Dr. Hildreth has served on numerous national advisory boards including the Harvard University Board of Overseers. He recently completed service on the Advisory Council to the NIH Director and currently serves as chair of the Veteran’s Administration National Academic Affiliations Council and the board of directors of the Association of Academic Health Centers. Dr. Hildreth serves on several other boards including chair of the board of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Mardoche Sidor, MD, is a Haitian-born, quadruple boardcertified psychiatrist, Chief Medical Officer at Urban Pathways in New York City, and Founder and CEO of the SWEET Institute. Harvard- and Columbia-trained, he is board-certified in adult, child and adolescent, forensic, and addiction psychiatry, with additional fellowship training in public and community psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry. He previously served for eight years as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and is currently a psychoanalytic candidate at the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. At Urban Pathways, Dr. Sidor helped develop the Four-Stage Engagement Model: Sitting, Listening, Empathizing, and Collaborating, which is being piloted through initiatives supported by the New York State Office of Mental Health and private philanthropy. Philanthropic support is also funding the first phase of work to establish the measurement and data infrastructure for a future longitudinal study examining whether engagement can predict behavioral health, service-use, and housing outcomes. Dr. Sidor’s global mental health experience includes three years of research in the Global Health Research Division at Massachusetts General Hospital under David Henderson, MD, as well as professional and educational exchanges in China, South Africa, Cuba, India, Brazil, Argentina, Haiti, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic. He has written on cultural psychiatry in Haiti and has undertaken extensive work advancing educational transformation in the country. He also studied approaches to reimagining Haiti alongside the founders of the Vassar Haiti Project, work that later contributed to the creation of two nonprofit organizations dedicated to Haiti’s transformation. MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
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Across clinical care, research, education, and systems leadership, Dr. Sidor focuses on health equity and the development of culturally grounded mental health systems that people can approach safely, trust, and participate in meaningfully. Richard A. Gooden, MBA, is Director of the Center of Excellence for Digital Health and Program Director of the Telehealth Program in the Department of Family Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM). In this role, he provides strategic and operational oversight of telehealth services at Morehouse Healthcare, directing their design, implementation, and optimization, and serves as a system-wide subject-matter expert in value-based virtual care. Mr. Gooden played an essential role in MSM’s transition to virtual care before the COVID-19 pandemic. The telehealth infrastructure he established positioned the institution to respond to large-scale shutdowns and to commit fully to virtual care delivery. He continues to guide Morehouse Medicine in adopting artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies in the clinical environment, with a focus on equitable implementation. Sherilyn Francis is a human-centered artificial intelligence (AI) researcher focused on the design, evaluation, and responsible integration of AI and digital health technologies across women’s health. Her research examines how AI-enabled systems can support women throughout reproductive and midlife health, with particular emphasis on maternal health, sexual and reproductive health, cardiometabolic health, and mental health. Across her related research, Francis integrates participatory design, multimodal sensing, digital phenotyping, and implementation science to develop technologies that are clinically meaningful and responsive to women’s experiences, preferences, and care contexts. Chima Ohuabunwo MD, MPH, FWACP is a medical epidemiologist and public health physician with over 25 years’ experience in Global Health. Currently a professor of Global Health and Epidemiology in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, and Team lead for the One Health and Epidemic preparedness/response core in the David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM). He also holds secondary appointment in the MSM Department of Internal Medicine, and adjunct positions at the Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta GA and at the University of Port Harcourt College of Health Sciences in Nigeria. Dr Ohuabunwo is an alum of the US CDC Epidemic intelligence service fellowship class of 2000 that responded to the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attack and the US postal services anthrax bioterrorism attack of 2001. He is a former Executive Director of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), a US CDC global health partner with operations in over 30 sub-Saharan MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
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African countries. He led the sub-regionalization of AFENET operations, founding of the AFENET Corps of Disease Detectives (ACODD) and the establishment of the Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (JIEPH). His global health work in collaboration with US CDC also includes serving as a the pioneer Program Coordinator of the CDC-supported Nigeria National Stop Transmission of Polio (NSTOP) program, foundation member of the National Polio Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the Coordinator for the Case Management and Infection Prevention team of the Nigeria Ebola Emergency Operations Center that worked with the Government, international and local partners to contain the July 2014 highly impactful West Africa Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Outbreak as well as the eventual elimination of wild polio virus transmission in Nigeria in 2020. He also served as the pioneer Resident Advisor of the Ghana Field Epidemiology Training Program, Team lead, for the AFENET USAID One Health Initiative in East Africa, Lead Epidemiologist on the PEPFAR-funded CDC-MSM 5-year Ghana HIV/ AIDs Monitoring and Evaluation (GHAME) project and many other impactful global health efforts. He has presented papers at multiple national/international conferences, authored book chapters and over 50 peer-reviewed publications with over 1500 citations. Dr ‘Chima” serves on multiple Africa CDC workforce capacity development steering committees and loves training and mentoring the next generation of global health professionals and leaders. Professor Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah is a Ghanaian born internationally recognized basic and translational scientist and leader in sickle cell disease (SCD). He currently serves as Professor of Pediatrics and Calvin Smyre Endowed Chair for Sickle Cell Research, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, and Director of the Georgia Solve Sickle Cell Initiative at Emory University School of Medicine. He also serves as Professor and Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine, reflecting his leadership across two major academic medical institutions in the US. Prof. Ofori-Acquah leads research portfolio spanning fundamental molecular investigations, translational science, and large-scale genomics studies. His pioneering contributions include the development of the first animal model of acute chest syndrome, a landmark advancement that significantly enhanced drug discovery for this complication of SCD. His current research is focused on unraveling the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cerebral infarction in SCD, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of multiple targets in SCD and the SickleGenome, a project aimed at sequencing the genome of 1,000 children with SCD. In addition to his work in the US, Prof. Ofori-Acquah is the Founding Director of the West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC), in the University of Ghana, and Principal Investigator of the Sickle Cell Disease Genomics of Africa Network within the H3Africa Consortium. He has played major roles to establish international collaborative partnerships involving both academic institutions and industry to improve access to research and medicines in Africa. He is a Member of MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
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the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Advisory Council, and serves on other Boards and Committees to advocate for evidence-based practice in SCD globally. Prof. Ofori-Acquah has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has trained and mentored over 200 students in Africa and the US to help develop the next generation of researchers and clinicians in SCD, hematology and genetic medicine. Ayomide Olayiwola is a fourth-year PhD candidate from Stone Mountain, Georgia. She received her B.S. in Biology from Mercer University and her M.S. in Biotechnology from Morehouse School of Medicine. Her research focuses on characterizing genetic variants enriched in populations of West African ancestry and their roles in metabolic disease. Through her work, she aims to better understand the genetic factors contributing to the burden of metabolic disease across diverse populations. She also contributes to the discovery and development of novel therapeutics targeting these variants, with the goal of advancing more effective and equitable approaches to disease treatment. Ayomide’s journey at Morehouse School of Medicine has also provided her with opportunities to engage in global health through the Costa Rica Global Health Immersion Program and the Global Health Research Program on Sickle Cell Disease and Malaria. These experiences have broadened her perspective on health disparities and strengthened her interest in incorporating global health perspectives into her research. Ayomide hopes to contribute to research that not only advances scientific understanding, but also promotes more equitable approaches to improving health outcomes across diverse populations. Gabi Seplovich is an MD/PhD candidate at Morehouse School of Medicine with a commitment to advancing health equity. Before entering medical school, Gabi worked as a Field Director on several campaigns to advance health justice, including the expansion of healthcare access in the United States through the Affordable Care Act. As an undergraduate student, she participated in study abroad programs where she worked in low resourced clinics assisting with patient care. More recently, Gabi participated in the Summer Elective Program in Siddha Medicine where she learned about the ancient medical practice of Siddha and the integration of traditional and modern medical practices. Gabi hopes to pursue a career in clinical neurology where she can use her unique background to improve the patient experience and continue advocating for the right to health and healthcare.
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Woods (she/they) is a second-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) student at Morehouse School of Medicine and a graduate of Spelman College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Science. She serves as Co-Vice President of MSM Alliance, where she advocates for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in medical education and helps coordinate student and faculty participation in the annual Atlanta Pride March. In Summer 2026, Woods participated in the University of Global Health Equity’s Community-Based Education program in Rwanda, gaining experiential insight into community-based and global health initiatives. Her professional interests include pediatric surgery, health equity, and patient education, with a commitment to improving healthcare access and promoting compassionate, patient-centered care. Sydnae Becton is a graduate of the Master of Science in Medical Sciences program at Morehouse School of Medicine and an aspiring physician committed to health equity and serving underserved communities. In summer 2026, she participated in the University of Global Health Equity’s Community-Based Education program in Rwanda, a three-week immersive experience focused on community health and social medicine. Through engagement with community health workers, healthcare providers, and rural communities, she explored Rwanda’s health system, maternal and mental health, social determinants of health, and community-driven approaches to addressing health inequities. Her experience strengthened her commitment to listening to communities and approaching health through an equitable, community-centered lens. Dr. Gilberte (“Gigi”) Bastien is a licensed clinical psychologist and Deputy Director of the David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), where she also serves as Assistant Professor (Departments of Community Health & Preventive Medicine and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences). Dr. Bastien’s research and clinical interests focus on the intersection of culture and mental health aimed at improving accessibility, acceptability, and efficacy of mental health services for underserved populations. Her interests in disaster mental health and global mental health capacity building were shaped by her experiences in post-earthquake Haiti (her native country) and working alongside the Carter Center’s Mental Health team in the West African Ebola outbreak (2016). Dr. Bastien’s connection to Dr. Satcher’s legacy began as a Satcher Health Policy Leadership Fellow (2014–2015). Operating at the intersection of clinical science, policy, and social justice, she now advances health equity through a “glocal” framework, translating clinical research into community-driven solutions across U.S. diaspora communities and elsewhere around the world. A former NIH Fogarty Global Health Research Fellow and UN mental health parity advocate, she leads cross-sector initiatives dedicated to building systems of care where every community can thrive. Dr. Bastien was recently recognized in the inaugural cohort of the American Psychological Association’s 100 Psychologists Rising and is a World Affairs Council of Atlanta Global Leadership Fellow. MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
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GLOBAL HEALTH EQUITY SUMMIT
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Thank You We sincerely thank you for your vital contributions and active participation in the Fourth Annual Global Health Equity Summit. Your dedication and collaboration were key to the event’s success. We also appreciate our distinguished speakers and panelists for their valuable insights and engaging discussions. Your input has expanded our perspectives and sparked new ideas for action. The efforts of the Morehouse School of Medicine planning committee were instrumental in the success of this summit. We are grateful for your tireless work in organizing and executing the event, which ensured a seamless and impactful experience for all. Our thanks also extend to our vendors for their crucial support.
MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
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GLOBAL HEALTH EQUITY SUMMIT
22