Speak with our experts
Our foundation works with partners, grantees, and governments in 144 countries on urgent issues in global health and development. Our program leaders and other experts can offer perspective and background to members of the media on a wide range of topics, including development policy and finance, gender equality, climate adaptation, food and nutrition security, financial inclusion, global health R&D, infectious diseases, immunization, and U.S. education. The individuals listed below represent a sample—not a comprehensive list—of foundation experts that members of the media can connect with on relevant topics.
To inquire about speaking with any of them, or with our experts in related areas and/or in specific places (sub-Saharan Africa, China and other East Asian countries, India, Europe, the Middle East, or North America), please contact us at [email protected].
Global Policy & Advocacy Division
Topics:
- Development finance and policy (including multilateral development bank reform, debt solutions for low-income countries)
- Women’s economic empowerment
Experts:
- Gargee Ghosh, President, Global Policy & Advocacy
- Archna Vyas, Director, Program Advocacy and Communications: Growth, Opportunity and Empowerment
- Kalpana Kochhar, Director, Development Policy & Finance
Gender Equality Division
Topics:
- Women’s economic empowerment (including data and evidence, women’s role in economic recovery, gender-inclusive economic policy)
- Women’s leadership
- Family planning
- Maternal, newborn and child health (including R&D)
Experts:
- Anita Zaidi, President, Gender Equality
- Greta Bull, Director, Women’s Economic Empowerment
- Diva Dhar, Deputy Director, Women’s Economic Empowerment (focus: data and evidence)
- Aparajita Ramakrishnan, Director, Family Planning
- Rasa Izadnegahdar, Director, Health Product Research & Development
Global Growth & Opportunity Division
Topics:
- Climate adaptation (including innovations for smallholder farmers, food and nutrition security, climate financing)
- Nutrition (including investments in the microbiome)
- Digital public infrastructure (for economic inclusion and to spur global economic recovery)
Experts:
- Enock Chikava, Director, Agricultural Delivery Systems
- Shelly Sundberg, Acting Deputy Director, Nutritious Food Systems & Women’s Empowerment, Agricultural Development (focus: nutrition in food and social protection systems)
- Michael Wiegand, Director, Financial Services for the Poor
- Konstantin Peric, Deputy Director, Financial Services for the Poor (focus: digital platforms)
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Global Health Division
Topics:
- Upstream R&D to address infectious diseases (including investments in monoclonal antibodies, mRNA vaccines, next-generation diagnostics, antiviral drugs, easier-to-administer drug regimens, and gene therapies)
- Surveillance of infectious diseases (including environmental and genomic surveillance)
- Artificial intelligence to transform global health and development
- Grand Challenges grants to spur transformative solutions to urgent global health and development problems
Experts:
- Trevor Mundel, President, Global Health
- Philip Welkhoff, Director, Malaria
- Jennifer Gardy, Deputy Director, Malaria (focus: surveillance, data, epidemiology)
- Nina Russell, Director, Tuberculosis and HIV Prevention
- Puneet Dewan, Senior Program Officer, Tuberculosis (focus: tools and strategies)
- Peter Dull, Deputy Director, Vaccine Development & Surveillance (focus: clinical evaluation, HPV)
- Katey Einterz Owen, Director, Vaccine Development and Neglected Tropical Diseases
- Karen Heichman, Deputy Director, Diagnostics
- Ken Duncan, Deputy Director, Discovery & Translational Sciences (focus: drug discovery)
- Keith Klugman, Director, Pneumonia (focus includes maternal immunization for GBS and RSV)
- Padmini Srikantiah, Deputy Director, Pneumonia (focus: RSV)
- Jacqueline Kirchner, Senior Program Officer (focus: monoclonal antibodies)
- Zameer Brey, Deputy Director, Technology Diffusion (focus: artificial intelligence, large language models)
Global Development Division
Topics:
- Polio eradication and surveillance (including nOPV2 vaccine development and delivery)
- Vaccine delivery for routine immunization
- Partnerships with multilateral organizations (Gavi, The Global Fund, GPEI, GFF, CEPI)
- Pandemic preparedness and emergency response (including development of a Global Health Emergency Corps)
Experts:
- Chris Elias, President, Global Development
- Ananda Sankar Bandyopadhyay, Deputy Director, Polio (focus: technology, research, analytics)
- Greg Widmyer, Senior Advisor, Immunization (focus: vaccine delivery)
- Valerie Nkamgang Bemo, Deputy Director, Emergency Response
U.S. Programs Division
Topics:
- U.S. education (including addressing the math achievement gap and barriers to college attendance)
- Economic mobility and opportunity
Experts:
- Patrick Methvin, Interim President, U.S. Program
Learn more from our experts
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I joined 1,800 maternal health experts in Cape Town. Here’s what I learned.
Progress against maternal and newborn mortality has stalled. But Dr. Sanjana Bhardwaj says that new innovations and approaches could make pregnancy and childbirth safer for all.
By Dr. Sanjana Bhardwaj
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WATCH: The only tuberculosis vaccine is a century old. New innovations are around the corner.
An expert reveals some of the most exciting innovations in the R&D pipeline that could transform life for people affected by this deadly disease.
By Puneet Dewan
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Monoclonal antibodies were effective in treating COVID-19. They can do more.
Gates Foundation expert Jacqueline Kirchner explains how more affordable treatments can save lives.
By Jacqueline Kirchner