Sonali Korde, the MD Anderson Visiting Fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, kicked off the Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies Seminar Series Oct. 8 with a talk exploring the intersection of global health, foreign policy and humanitarian affairs.
Korde, a leading voice in international development, previously led USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and served as deputy special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues, helping direct the U.S. response to the Gaza crisis after Oct. 7, 2023. She also served on the National Security Council, where she helped launch the Global Health Security Agenda and coordinated U.S. responses to global outbreaks including Ebola and Zika.
At the event, Korde shared insights from her experience shaping policy at the highest levels of government, highlighting the critical role of Congress and the National Security Council in advancing foreign policy and global health priorities.
Rice360, a leader in global health technology education and research, launched the new seminar series to engage campus and community audiences in conversations with experts working across medicine, technology and policy to improve health outcomes worldwide. The institute’s mission is to innovate for global impact, develop effective, low-cost health care solutions for under-resourced communities and train future leaders to implement those solutions around the globe.
The next seminar will take place Oct. 21 and feature Maria Elena Bottazzi, professor of pediatrics and molecular virology and microbiology and senior associate dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. A distinguished vaccinologist and global health leader, Bottazzi’s talk will explore how scientific innovation in vaccine development can align with social and policy frameworks to advance equitable access to lifesaving technologies worldwide.
The Rice360 Global Health Technologies Seminar Series events are free and open to the public and held in Room 280 at the BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) from 5-6:15 p.m.
Learn more and view upcoming speakers at rice360.rice.edu/glht-seminar-series.