Northeastern Helps Advance Global Health Work in Seattle

Although Northeastern’s Seattle Graduate Campus will not open for classes until January, real progress has already been realized by the research connections developing through the Northeastern University-Seattle presence, especially in one key area:  global health.

Seattle is a major global health hub.  This is seen through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Washington Global Health Alliance of over 14 institutions deeply involved in the development and delivery of solutions to a wide range of global health infectious diseases, primarily in Africa.

The Dean of the Seattle Graduate Campus, Tayloe Washburn, recently learned from Steve Zoloth, Dean of Academic Affairs for External Programs and Vice Provost for Health Research, of the interest and research of Professor Mike Pollastri and colleagues in the Department of Chemistry in neglected tropical diseases. Pollastri’s work complements the pioneering research on malaria and other diseases by Seattle BioMed, whose research institute is just one block from our new Seattle campus. Steve andTayloe helped connect Mike with the founder of Seattle BioMed and former Northeastern alumnus, Ken Stuart. Subsequent discussions have culminated in two agreements to collaborate together. We will share more information on the details of this in coming months.

Professor Pollastri also is a driving force at Northeastern in the creation of the Northeastern Integrated Initiative for Global Health. On October 12, 2012, he spoke on the work presently underway at Northeastern in neglected tropical diseases, his work with Seattle BioMed, and plans for growth in a Global Health and Northeastern’s expertise in this area. You can view highlights from that presentation here.

The Integrated Initiative for Global Health, among other attributes, consists of a combination of a drug and diagnostics discovery platform, coupled with scholarship on critical topics that address socio-economic, political, ethical and legal issues that are intrinsic to global health. This combination will provide researchers and trainees a broad base for a holistic view towards global health.

Northeastern University – Seattle can help make research connections which foster interdisciplinary and national collaboration.  We are honored to be collaborating in this way and look forward to more progress in globalhealth and beyond in the future.

 

 

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