Global Health Experts Thomas Brewer and David Brandling-Bennett to Join Gates Foundation

SEATTLE -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced today that Thomas Brewer, M.D., and David Brandling-Bennett, M.D., have been named Senior Program Officers in the Infectious Diseases division of the Global Health Program.  Both will join the foundation by the end of August.

“We are excited to have these two talented physicians lend their expertise to the foundation’s efforts to improve global health,” said Regina Rabinovich, M.D., M.P.H., director of Infectious Diseases in the foundation’s Global Health Program.  “Their leadership will strengthen our efforts with partners around the world to control infectious diseases.”

As Senior Program Officers, Brewer and Brandling-Bennett will work to improve global health by managing programs to control the spread of infectious diseases in the developing world. Dr. Brewer will be responsible for a broad range of projects, focusing on drug development and vector-borne diseases. Dr. Brandling-Bennett will work on the foundation’s malaria control project and other tropical disease programs, where he will address issues related to global vaccinations and drug accessibility. 

Dr. Brewer is currently a Senior Program Officer for antiparasitic drug research and development at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). During his time at NIH, he has been responsible for conceptualizing and organizing clinical research projects that focused on malaria and other parasitic diseases. He received his B.S. in biology and chemistry from the University of Southern Mississippi, and his M.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.

Dr. Brandling-Bennett currently serves as Deputy Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), where he previously directed the Division for Communicable Disease Prevention and Control. While at PAHO, he has managed a broad range of projects to control the spread of infectious diseases.  He received his A.B. and M.D. from Harvard University.