Inside Global Health: Hands-on Science Expo and “Faces of Global Health” Panel
Time: 12:00 – 4:00 PM
Location: The Task Force For Global Health Stage in The Task Force For Global Health Headquarters, 330 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030
Step inside The Task Force for Global Health headquarters and learn what it’s like to work in the exciting world of global health. Our hands-on science expo and visitor center lets you become the expert at eliminating diseases and protecting populations here at home and in 150+ countries around the world. Then join our “Faces of Global Health” panel to hear from local public health heroes (many of them your friends and neighbors) who do this work every day. Preview an upcoming book and purchase signed books by global health legend Dr. Bill Foege, who devised the strategy that eliminated smallpox. This former CDC Director, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and founder of The Task Force was recently profiled in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
12:00 – 4:00 PM Family-Friendly Science Expo and Visitor Center:
- Be a disease detective fighting an outbreak across continents
- Decode data to stop the spread of disease
- Peer into the microscope to diagnose intestinal worms and other neglected diseases
- Help stamp out polio, viral hepatitis and other infectious diseases
- Chart a path for the supply chain that delivers billions of dollars worth of donated medicine to communities where needed
- And more!
3:00 – 4:00 PM: The Faces of Global Health Panel
Meet public health experts – many of them your friends and neighbors – who represent the wide range of people working in global health. An epidemiologist helping countries build strong immunization systems, a polio expert stopping disease outbreaks around the world, a researcher working to end “neglected tropical diseases” that affect 1 billion people, and a data scientist who helps health departments use timely information to protect people in their communities. You’ll learn what they do each day, why they chose this work, what they like about it, and other insider insights into the world of global health. Bring your questions!
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Tall Tales Book Shop will be selling copies of Task Force Co-Founder Dr. Bill Foege’s books The Task Force for Child Survival, which documents the evolution of The Task Force for Global Health, and House on Fire, which tells the story of the smallpox eradication effort. Attendees will also have the opportunity to pre-order Dr. Foege’s upcoming book, Change Is Possible: Reflections on the History of Global Health. Tall Tales will also be selling other public health books from their book collection.
Free parking for festival goers will be available on Saturday, Oct 5 from 9 am to 5 pm at The Task Force for Global Health parking deck (330 West Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, 30030) from the W. Ponce de Leon entrance adjacent to the office building and next to Mellow Mushroom. The Task Force is located between Mellow Mushroom and Cafe Lily.
About the Moderator
Lynn Heinisch, MA
Chief External Relations Officer at The Task Force for Global Health
Lynn Heinisch serves on The Task Force for Global Health executive team and leads the external relations team responsible for communications, development and global and federal affairs. Lynn’s experience in global health and development has included senior roles at CARE and PATH, as well as consulting with organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the CDC Foundation, and the Aspen Institute. In these roles, she led assignments and reported from dozens of countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Lynn began her career in journalism, worked for Intel in media relations, and served as a volunteer teacher in Benin. She earned a BA in English at Duke University and an MA in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.
Panelists
Fabien Diomande, MD, MSc
Director, Polio Eradication Surge Capacity Program at The Task Force for Global Health
As Director of the Polio Eradication Surge Capacity Program, Fabien Diomande oversees polio eradication efforts in partnership with the CDC and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Previously, he served as the Regional Advisor for Polio Eradication at UNICEF’s West and Central Africa Regional Office, overseeing program planning and partner coordination.
Before his role at UNICEF, Fabien held positions with the CDC and WHO in Cote d’Ivoire, Atlanta, Niger, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso, focusing on polio eradication, HIV care, and meningitis prevention. He earned his MD from the University of Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire and an MSc in disease control from the Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium.
Katie Gass, PhD, MPH
Director of Research, Neglected Tropical Diseases Support Center at The Task Force for Global Health
Katie Gass is the Director of Research at the Neglected Tropical Diseases Support Center (NTD-SC), where she provides technical expertise and strategic oversight for a vast portfolio of operational research projects aimed at eliminating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). With a background in epidemiology, Katie has played a pivotal role in designing sampling strategies and developing analytic tools to advance global health efforts.
Before her current role, she served as an epidemiologist at the NTD-SC and provided consulting services for prominent public health organizations such as UNICEF and Helen Keller International. Katie holds a PhD and MPH in Epidemiology from Emory University, and a BA in Mathematics and Theatre from Oberlin College. Her commitment to global public health began during her time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru, and she continues to drive impactful research that supports the World Health Organization’s NTD elimination goals. Reflecting on her work, Katie says, “It’s nice to see your work lead to measurable change and improvements in people’s lives.”
Vivian Singletary, JM, MBA
Director, Public Health Informatics Institute at The Task Force for Global Health
Vivian Singletary is the executive director of the Public Health Informatics Institute (PHII). In this role, she steers the work of PHII toward a world where every country has the capacity to access, use and share timely information to protect and improve the health of its people. Vivian is a recognized leading voice in the emergent and rapidly evolving field of public health informatics; her experience combines nearly 30 years in systems development and public health. She has been recognized as one of the Most Powerful Women in IT by Health Data Management and has been honored during Women’s History Month for her contributions toward ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vivian also serves on the board of directors for the Public Health Foundation and on the Advisory Board for Georgia State’s Institute of Health Administration Program. Vivian holds a master’s of business administration degree from Kennesaw State University and a juris master’s degree from Emory University School of Law, with a focus on global health. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Lisandro Torre, MPH
Epidemiologist, Center for Vaccine Equity at The Task Force for Global Health
Lisandro Torre is an epidemiologist on the Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives (PIVI) team and manages the NITAG Support Unit. Prior to PIVI, he was the Emergency Response Team Lead at TEPHINET at the Task Force for Global Health. He’s also worked as an epidemiologist at the Emergency Response and Recovery Branch within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) responding to several public health emergencies.
Lisandro completed his master of public health degree (MPH) at Emory University after serving for two years as a Health Extension Volunteer in Peace Corps Uganda.
