The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) has appointed Sandro Galea, dean of the School of Public Health, to its National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NACMHD).

NIMHD is one of 27 institutes and centers of the National Institute of Health (NIH), leading scientific research to improve minority health and eliminate health disparities.

As one of nine new NACMHD members drawn from the scientific, medical, and lay communities, Galea will advise the secretary of Health and Human Services and the directors of NIH and NIMHD. The council also conducts the second level of review for grant applications and cooperative agreements for research and training, and recommends approval for projects that show promise of making valuable contributions to human knowledge.

An epidemiologist and physician who had trained in emergency medicine, Galea is a leading expert in the health consequences of mass trauma, from Hurricane Katrina to combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has published more than 500 scientific journal articles, many focused on trauma and mental health. Other studies he’s done break new ground in global and urban health, including the role of the urban environment on risk behaviors and the impact of poverty and racial segregation on mortality.

A version of this article originally appeared on the School of Public Health website.