Ahead of the Curve

As the 20th U.S. Surgeon General and a prior member of the President's Coronavirus task force, Dr. Jerome Adams has been at the forefront of America's most pressing health challenges. A regular communicator via tv, radio, and in print, Dr. Adams is an expert not just in the science, but also in communicating the science to the lay public, and making it relevant to various audiences.Dr. Jerome Adams was appointed as a Presidential Fellow and the Executive Director of Purdue's Health Equity Initiatives on October 1, 2021. He is also a Distinguished Professor of Practice in the departments of Pharmacy Practice and Public Health.Dr. Adams is a licensed anesthesiologist with a master's degree in public health, and ran the Indiana State Department of Health prior to becoming Surgeon General. In the State Health Commissioner role he managed a $350 million dollar budget and over 1000 employees, and led Indiana's response to Ebola, Zika, and HIV crises. Notably, Dr. Adams helped convince the Governor and State Legislature to legalize syringe service programs in the state, and to prioritize $13 million in funding to combat infant mortality. As Surgeon General, Dr. Adams was the operational head of the 6,000 person Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and oversaw responses to 3 back-to-back category 5 hurricanes, and to a once in a century pandemic.In addition to his recent COVID19 work, Dr. Adams has partnered with and assisted organizations as they navigate the opioid epidemic, maternal health, rising rates of chronic disease, the impacts of rising suicide rates in our Nation, and how businesses can become better stewards and stakeholders in promoting community health.

Helene Gayle leads the Chicago Community Trust, an organization that, among many things, is aiming to eliminate the racial wealth gap in Chicago. She joins University of Michigan School of Public Health Dean DuBois Bowman on "Ahead of the Curve" for a conversation on leadership that spans her impressive career including the CDC, Gates Foundation and CARE, and includes anecdotes about the power of mentorship, the importance of storytelling, and how to develop effective partnerships.

In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, University of Michigan School of Public Health Dean DuBois Bowman welcomes Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan and Chief Deputy Director for Health in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). In these roles, she provides overall medical guidance for the State of Michigan as a cabinet member of the Governor, and oversees public health and aging programs, Medicaid, and behavioral health for MDHHS.

In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, University of Michigan School of Public Health Dean DuBois Bowman welcomes Dr. Julio Frenk, President of the University of Miami. Dr. Frenk shares stories of how his life experiences have fueled his mission to give back to others throughout his career in public health and higher education and reflects on lessons learned while leading a University during the coronavirus pandemic and crises of racial injustice. This interview was originally recorded on January 26, 2021 as part of the Ahead of the Curve speaker series. Be sure to follow us at @umichsph on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook so you can share your perspectives on the issues we discussed, learn more from Michigan Public Health experts, and share episodes of the podcast with your friends on social media.

In our inaugural episode of Ahead of the Curve, University of Michigan School of Public Health Dean DuBois Bowman welcomes Tonya Allen, President and CEO of The Skillman Foundation. Allen delves into important leadership lessons she has taken throughout her career from mentors, like leading with grace, examines how to find opportunities in crisis, and discusses the importance of self-care for leaders in any organization. This interview was originally recorded on November 13, 2020, as part of the Ahead of the Curve speaker series.