Lecture to tackle global health

Richard D. Klausner, MD, executive director of global health programs for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will present "The Grand Challenges of Science & Technology in Global Health" at the 10th Thomas C. Merigan Jr. Lecture.

The foundation — the world’s wealthiest with assets of about $24 billion — aims to improve education and health worldwide, with a focus on infectious disease. Klausner is a former director of the National Cancer Institute and has served as a liaison to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Sponsored by the Department of Medicine’s division of infectious diseases and geographic medicine, the lectureship honors Thomas C. Merigan Jr., MD, the George E. and Lucy Becker Professor of Medicine and director of the Center for AIDS Research.

Previous Merigan lecturers have included Jonas Salk, MD and Robert Gallo, MD. The event will take place Oct. 7 at noon in Fairchild Auditorium and is open to all.