Dr. Michael Merson, current director of Yale University's Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, has been named director of Duke's newly launched Global Health Institute, President Richard Brodhead announced Wednesday.
"The Global Health Institute exemplifies the kind of cross-field collaboration that's rare elsewhere but relatively common here," Brodhead said in a statement. "I am extremely pleased that Dr. Merson will lead this visionary new program to address health disparities in Durham and around the world."
The $30-million institute was launched in April and will play a major role in current efforts by Duke researchers, who in recent years have received more than $350 million for HIV/AIDS research from the National Institute of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
An internationally renowned AIDS researcher, Merson served as director of the World Health Organization's Global Program on AIDS and two other international health programs for 17 consecutive years before taking the position at Yale.
At Yale, Merson was dean and chair of the Yale School of Medicine's Department of Epidemiology and Public Health from 1995 to 2004.
Most recently, Merson has published on global AIDS policy issues, and in a statement said he was attracted to Duke's philosophy regarding interdisciplinary approaches to achieve advances in healthcare.
Merson has authored more than 175 articles and is the senior editor of International Public Health, the first textbook published on the subject.
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