Our Speakers

Sandro Galea, MD, MPH, DrPH

Sandro Galea, a physician, epidemiologist, and author, is dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at Boston University School of Public Health. He previously held academic and leadership positions at Columbia University, the University of Michigan, and the New York Academy of Medicine. He has published extensively in the peer-reviewed literature, and is a regular contributor to a range of public media, about the social causes of health, mental health, and the consequences of trauma. He has been listed as one of the most widely cited scholars in the social sciences. He is past chair of the board of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health and past president of the Society for Epidemiologic Research and of the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. Galea has received several lifetime achievement awards. Galea holds a medical degree from the University of Toronto, graduate degrees from Harvard University and Columbia University, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow.

Closing Speakers

Andrianna Leon

Andrianna is a senior at Boston Latin School who will be graduating this spring to pursue a career in public health with a focus on health equity and disparities. In addition to her passion for health, Andrianna is Haitian, loves to sing, and her favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip. She can’t wait to meet everyone soon!

Gray Babbs

Gray Babbs is a PhD student in Health Services Research at the Brown University School of Public Health. His research interests are in improving access to care for transgender and gender diverse populations in the US. He applies epidemiological and health services methods to examine structural drivers of health inequities, with a focus on the impact of stigma on health care utilization and health outcomes. Prior to attending Brown University, he worked in policy, organizing, and public health communication including with the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston, IAF Northwest, and Public Health Post. He believes the future of public health lies in advocating for policy that addresses historical and ongoing economic disenfranchisement of Black and Indigenous communities. He received an MPH in epidemiology and biostatistics from the Boston University School of Public Health and a BA in biology from Carleton College.

Hiba Abousleiman

Hiba Abousleiman is a public health researcher primarily focused on expanding access to behavioral health services and increasing opportunities for economic mobility among families living in poverty. She is currently overseeing several different initiatives on a consulting basis, including a mixed-methods program evaluation of the Academic Public Health Volunteer Corps and a food security project in her home country of Lebanon. She has worked in research, program design and management, and education in various settings, including school systems, research institutions, and city- and state-level health departments. She received an MPH in Community Assessment & Program Design from the Boston University School of Public Health and a BA in Psychology from Villanova University.