About the Author

Michael H. Merson, MD is the Wolfgang Joklik Professor of Global Health at Duke University. He joined the Duke faculty in November 2006 as the founding director of the Duke Global Health Institute and served in that role through 2017. In addition, he was Vice President and Vice Provost for Global Affairs from 2011-2018, and Vice Chancellor for Duke-National University of Singapore Affairs from 2010-2016. He has held leadership positions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the International Center for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh, served as Director of the World Health Organization’s Diarrheal and Acute Respiratory Control Programs and Global Program on AIDS, and was the first Dean of Public Health at Yale University. Dr. Merson’s research and writings have been primarily on the etiology of diarrheal diseases in low- and middle-income countries, HIV prevention and policy and academic global health. He has served as an advisor to a number of international organizations and advisory bodies; is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine; and has received two honorary degrees and the U.S. Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal. Robert E. Black, MD, MPH is the Edgar Berman Professor and Chair of the Department of International Health and Director of the Institute for International Programs of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. As a member of the U.S. Institute of Medicine and advisory bodies of the World Health Organization, the International Vaccine Institute, and other international organizations, he assists with the development of programs and policies intended to improve child health and nutrition. Dr. Black currently chairs the WHO/ UNICEF Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group and the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative. He has more than 500 scientific journal publications derived from his international research. Dr. Black received the Programme for Global Paediatric Research Award for Outstanding Contributions to Global Child Health in 2010, the Prince Mahidol Award in Public Health in 2010, and the Canada Gairdner Global Health Award in 2011.