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Senior Scholars

Senior Scholars are accomplished leaders in academia and/or industry whose expertise aligns with the public health mission of UofM SPH. Senior Scholars stay informed on promising public health work and identify critical issues that could benefit from inquiry and attention. Each scholar is personally appointed by the Dean to provide scholarly and professional guidance to UofM SPH research and practice endeavors.

Neville Calleja
Senior Scholar
 

Prof. Neville Calleja is a Full Professor and Head of Department for Public Health within the Faculty of Medicine & Surgery of the University of Malta, in Europe. He is also the Director for Health Information and Statistics within the Ministry of Health in Malta, since 2007, serving as Acting Chief Medical Officer during 2014.
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Tina Purnat
Senior Scholar
 

Tina Purnat is an accomplished informatician whose global footprint spans over two decades of public health work. Her career journey has taken her from the corridors of academia to the United Nations to the frontlines of public health organizations, consistently pushing the boundaries of digital health, AI technologies, and addressing health misinformation.
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William Yotive
Senior Scholar
 

Mr. William Yotive is currently the Model UN Coordinator for the World Federation of United Nations Associations where he is responsible for organizing WFUNA’s Model UN programs around the world which includes conducting trainings on how to accurately simulate a wide range of UN bodies, including all the main UN Organs as well as some Subsidiary organs and Specialized Agencies. 
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Dr. Rakesh Kumar
Senior Scholar
 
Dr. Kumar is an honorary senior scholar of the University of Memphis School of Public Health. A senior civil servant, public health practitioner and a global health leader from India with training in Medicine, fellowships in Pediatrics and Neonatology, having more than 29 years of experience in designing policies, implementing large public health programs including Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health, Vaccines, Nutrition, Gender, Non-Communicable
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Yonette F. Thomas
Senior Scholar
 

Dr. Thomas is a senior scholar of the University of Memphis School of Public Health. Dr. Yonette Felicity Thomas is the founder and president of UrbanHealth360, an organization of multidisciplinary thinkers centered on a people-oriented, community-focused approach to urban health. Dr. Thomas is a globally acknowledged thought leader, urban health champion, and an advocate for valuing the health of women and girls as an economic imperative.
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Dr. Emmanuel Tsekleves
Senior Scholar
 
Dr. Emmanuel Tsekleves leads Design for Global Health at Imagination Lancaster, Lancaster University. He is a multicultural and multidisciplinary researcher with 15+ years of experience successfully working with collaborators globally across Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe. His work revolves around solving complex issues and combining academic research with business acumen to translate insights into sustainable solutions in the health, food and green economy
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Dr. Daniel F. Sarpong
Senior Scholar
 
Dr. Daniel F. Sarpong, is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of General Internal Medicine and Executive Director of the Office of Health Equity Research (OHER) at the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Sarpong’s research focuses on translational research exploring innovative approaches to mitigating biological and social determinants of health disparities in primarily chronic diseases. Before joining Yale University in the School of Medicine, he was a Tenured Professor
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