Speakers

Plenary Sessions


The 2024 ASPPH Annual Meeting for Academic Public Health features three plenary sessions. These sessions serve as the cornerstone of collaborative engagement, bringing together diverse stakeholders, experts, and thought leaders. As focal points of the annual meeting, our plenary sessions aim to inspire, inform, and unite participants, setting the tone for productive collaboration and the pursuit of common goals throughout the event and beyond.

Thursday Opening Plenary Session
9:00 – 10:30 AM


Framing the Future of 21st Century Education:
A Blue-Ribbon Panel Perspective

At the meeting, ASPPH will release its much-anticipated Framing the Future 2030: Education for Public Health report. To start our meeting and frame discussions at the sessions to follow, we are convening a Blue-Ribbon Panel of internationally known higher-education scholars to present key insights in the areas of transformative education, life-long learning, and the role of technology as an integral part of the renovated vision for academic public health. We are pleased to announce our esteemed panel:

Radhika Dirks, PhD, MS

CEO & Co-Founder, XLabs and Ribo AI

Julio Frenk, MD, PhD, MPH

President, University of Miami

Michelle R. Weise, PhD

CEO, Rise & Design

Friday Morning Plenary
9:00 – 10:30 AM


Disparity to Equity: Inter-Sectoral Collaborations and Actions

Our Friday morning plenary session features an inter-sectoral panel discussion with representatives from academia, government, and industry on the role of their institutions in advancing knowledge and understanding of health disparities and identifying mechanisms to improve minority health and reduce health disparities. This session aims to foster a deeper understanding of the challenges at hand and inspire collaborative solutions.

Lisa Cooper, MD

Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Leandris Liburd, PhD, MPH, MA

Acting Director, Office of Health Equity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Abdul Shaikh, PhD, MHSc

Global Leader for Population Health, Amazon Web Services

Leith States, MD, MPH

Chief Medical Officer, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Deputy Director, Office of Science and Medicine, U.S. Department of Health and Human Service

Friday Afternoon Plenary Session
1:00 – 2:15 PM


The unfortunate politicization of public health has led to direct attacks on professionals in the field and a proliferation of mis/disinformation. This session presents two perspectives on current political issues, shedding light on the profound impact of the political landscape on public health. Additionally, the session will explore ways in which we can collectively enhance our advocacy skills within our communities, fostering a more informed and resilient approach to addressing public health challenges.

Laura Barrón-López

White House Correspondent, PBS NewsHour

Korey T. Johnson, JD

Owner and Lead Consultant, Equipped Solutions