Appointment of Dean Sandro Galea as the Robert A. Knox Professor
From Dr. Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer
I am delighted to announce that Sandro Galea, Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health and Professor of Epidemiology, has been named as the Robert A. Knox Professor.
The Robert A. Knox Professorship was established in 2012 as a result of the generosity and vision of businessman, philanthropist, and BU Board of Trustees Chair, Robert Knox (CAS ’74, Questrom ’75). The Professorship is designated to support a Boston University faculty member who demonstrates excellence in scholarship, research, and teaching, as well as impact on society. An internationally recognized physician, epidemiologist, scholar, and leader in defining the future of public health research, education, and practice, Professor Galea is the ideal faculty member to hold this distinguished professorship.
Professor Galea’s current research interests are focused on the social production of health of urban populations. His research examines the causes of brain disorders, particularly common mood-anxiety disorders and substance abuse. In addition to his focus on urban health, Professor Galea’s scholarship includes a significant global dimension. He is a leading expert on the health consequences of mass trauma and conflict worldwide, including the September 11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa, and combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and several foundations, including a 2006 Investigator Award in Health Policy Research from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, have supported his innovative work.
Professor Galea trained as a primary care and emergency physician at the University of Toronto. After a series of medical residencies in remote global locations and work with Doctors Without Borders in Somalia, he went on to earn a master’s degree in public health at Harvard School of Public Health and a DrPH at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Prior to joining BU as Dean of the School of Public Health in January 2015, he was the Anna Cheskis Gelman and Murray Charles Gelman Professor of Epidemiology and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. He has previously held academic and leadership positions at the University of Michigan and the New York Academy of Medicine. Professor Galea is a prolific scholar, having published more than 500 scientific journal articles, 50 book chapters, and nine books, and among other honors, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2012. His publicly engaged scholarship and advocacy, through regular articles and commentaries in the press, reflect his personal commitment to working passionately to ensure the social and environmental conditions for people to be healthy.
We are grateful for the gift from The Robert and Jeanne Knox Foundation that enables the University to recognize the excellence of Professor Galea’s leadership and ongoing contributions to the field of public health with the Robert A. Knox Professorship. Please join me in congratulating Professor Galea and wishing him well in this significant appointment.
Appointment of Dean Sandro Galea as the Robert A. Knox Professor – 1.19.16