Wafaa El-Sadr, Global Leader in Infectious Disease at the Mailman School of Public Health, Named a 2008 MacArthur Fellow

Fellows selected for creativity, originality, potential to make important contributions in the future; receive $500,000—no strings attached

New York, NY—Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH ’91, professor of clinical Epidemiology and director of the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP) at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, today was named one of the 2008 MacArthur Fellows by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. This exceptional honor was bestowed on 25 individuals for 2008, selected for their creativity, originality, and potential to make important contributions in the future.

Dr. El-Sadr, who is also professor of clinical Medicine at Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Harlem Hospital Center, is a global leader in the field of infectious disease and public health. She has redefined the field with innovative models of prevention, care, and treatment for HIV and tuberculosis. She has pioneered a multi-faceted, family-focused approach to prevention, care, and treatment of diseases that disproportionately affect people with the least access to quality healthcare. Through her work developing effective programs in impoverished and immigrant communities in Harlem, as well as in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Dr. El-Sadr has set ever-improved standards for healthcare delivery for patients facing devastating disease under severe economic hardship and societal challenges.

“This is an extraordinary honor for a truly extraordinary person,” says Linda Fried, MD, MPH, dean, Mailman School of Public Health. “The respect for Dr. El-Sadr’s scientific leadership in the field is only surpassed by the awe for the depth of her compassion, commitment, creativity, and tenacity. It is a privilege to have her on our faculty.”

“The impact of Dr. El-Sadr’s work can be felt in New York City, throughout the country, and, indeed, around the world. There are few people who can have such a deep effect on the lives of so many. Dr. El-Sadr is remarkable—both the depth and breadth of her expertise in the field, and her dedication to the overall well-being of her patients and the communities she serves around the world. We at Columbia University Medical Center congratulate her on this singular honor" says Lee Goldman, MD, MPH, executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences and dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine, Columbia University.

About the Mailman School of Public Health
The only accredited school of public health in New York City, and among the first in the nation, Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health provides instruction and research opportunities to more than 1000 graduate students in pursuit of masters and doctoral degrees. Its students and more than 300 multi-disciplinary faculty engage in research and service in the city, nation, and around the world, concentrating on biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health policy and management, population and family health, and sociomedical sciences. www.mailman.hs.columbia.edu