Leading Public Health Experts

Dr. Jagdish Khubchandani is a Professor of Public Health at New Mexico State University (NMSU), known for his extensive research and expertise in global health and social epidemiology

Dr. Robert W. Buckingham, Dr.P.H., is Professor Emeritus of Public Health at the University of Michigan and a pioneer of the U.S. hospice movement. In 1974, he helped establish the first hospice in the United States and has since assisted in developing more than 80 hospice and long-term care programs worldwide. He is the author of 12 books and numerous peer-reviewed papers, including five on COVID-19. Dr. Buckingham also serves on the ASPHER–WHO COVID-19 Task Force, advising on pandemic response and preparedness. His career spans five decades at the intersection of hospice care, longevity, global health leadership, and end-of-life studies, making him a sought-after voice on aging, grief, and public health innovation.

Dr. Akshaya Srikanth Bhagavathula is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at North Dakota State University, internationally recognized for his pioneering work at the intersection of digital epidemiology, pharmacovigilance, and artificial intelligence. His research harnesses advanced statistical modeling and AI to track and predict health behaviors, medication safety, and disease patterns in real time—bridging traditional epidemiology with next-generation digital health analytics. Dr. Bhagavathula has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Annals of Epidemiology, JAMA Network Open, and Lancet Digital Health. His work has been widely cited and featured in major media outlets such as The New York Times, where he discussed the real-world safety of GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro). Recognized among the Stanford–Elsevier Top 2% of Scientists (2019–2024) and elected as a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, Dr. Bhagavathula is known for translating complex data into actionable insights that shape public health policy and clinical practice. His ongoing projects include NIH- and NSF-aligned initiatives on AI-powered overdose forecasting, digital twins for public health, and real-world drug safety surveillance using explainable machine learning. With a decade of experience spanning more than two dozen countries and collaborations with organizations such as WHO, USAID, and UNICEF, Dr. Bhagavathula brings a global, data-driven, and human-centered approach to solving modern health crises.

Dr. Saravanan Thangarajan is a global climate, health, and equity governance advisor focused on how heat, air pollution, and resource insecurity shape health outcomes in climate vulnerable settings. His work connects policy, financing, and frontline service delivery, with a strong emphasis on maternal health, mental health, and community resilience. Trained in dentistry, health administration, and global health delivery, he brings operational and systems experience across public health programs and digital health infrastructure. He provides clear, quote ready insights on climate adaptation for health systems, equity centered governance, and implementation pathways that move evidence into action.

Health Educator at the University of California, Berkeley.

Specialties: Population Health, Care Management, Accountable Care Organizations, Sustainable Health Communities, Provider Engagement, Product Development, Business & Health Care Strategy, Product Sales Support, Business Process Management, Telemedicine, Healthcare Information Technology, Operations, Physician Engagement, Clinical Redesign, Patient Flow, Wellness, Strategy, Patient Centered Medical Home, Health Policy, Managed Care, Medicaid, Medicare, Regulatory, Boards, Governance, Public Sector, Public Health, Analytics. Leadership Development and Nursing

I'm an ecologist and geographer at Penn State University. I received my Ph.D. in Geography from Indiana University, and also hold master's and bachelor's degrees in Biology. My research focuses on forest ecosystem dynamics, as well as nature-society relations using both quantitative and qualitative frameworks.

Terrence Hight, Jr., is the Founder and CEO of Hight Health, the world leader in providing access to care for underserved populations. Terrence has worked entrepreneurially and professionally in the healthcare industry for over a dozen years; leading projects for organizations such as Optum360, Dignity Health System, Northwell Health, and WellStar Health System. As CEO of Hight Health, Terrence oversees large-scale access to care community health events. Hight Health events have provided awareness and education to over 10,000 and the in-person events have provided health access to over 1,000 across Metro-Atlanta. Terrence was also a faculty member in the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Georgia State University. In 2023, Terrence received a Georgia State University 40 Under 40 Alumni award. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and an Executive MBA from Kennesaw State University.

Brian is the Chief AI Officer at Health-Vision.AI, LLC, where he leads responsible AI implementation and develops ethical AI, security, and governance frameworks for healthcare and life sciences organizations in the US and EU. He is also the founder of Envision-Health.AI and creator of HealthRoundsAI, a platform that helps future clinicians use AI ethically and communicate more effectively with patients. With decades of public- and private-sector experience in health tech, AI strategy, data governance, and digital innovation, Brian is a recognized thought leader on AI ethics, AI governance, and the societal impacts of AI in healthcare. He also serves as an adjunct instructor in social sciences and AI ethics and has published in JMIR, Public Health Reports, and the Journal of Community Health.

Growing products and platforms that connect the world.

Dr. Boluwatife OLU Afolabi is a dental surgeon and PhD candidate in Oral Biology at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms driving head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, particularly the role of environmental carcinogens, inflammatory signaling, and transcriptional regulation in disease initiation and progression. His work investigates pathways such as the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) and S100A8/S100A9-mediated inflammatory responses using cellular and molecular models of oral epithelial transformation. He has extensive experience in cancer biology, oral pathology, toxicology, and translational biomedical research. Dr. Afolabi provides expert insight on oral cancer risk factors, environmental exposures and health, inflammation and disease mechanisms, dental-systemic health connections, and emerging directions in cancer research. He is also interested in public health implications of carcinogen exposure and prevention strategies in oral and head-and-neck disease.

I am an MD-PhD physician-scientist with a passion for translating complex clinical and scientific data into clear, accurate content. My training and experience span clinical practice and translational research, with expertise across oncology, immunology, gastroenterology, inflammation & metabolism, and rare diseases. With over 10 years of experience, I have supported key deliverables including more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, manuscripts, slide decks, literature reviews, and scientific narratives. I enjoy working in collaborative, deadline-driven environments and am particularly interested in medical writing, medical information, and publication development, where scientific accuracy and effective storytelling intersect.

Eric is a seasoned executive with broad health IT expertise and relevant entrepreneurial skills. Following successfully founding G2Xchange Health, a membership-based online competitive intelligence firm for Federal Health IT executives, Eric recognized that environmental factors have been long neglected by the medical community. He founded DailyBreath, LLC to bring personalized environmental health to the vulnerable populations. Inspired to address environmental factors as a determinant of health for vulnerable populations, Eric has spent more than 10,000 hours in the domain of environmental factors and respiratory conditions. He quickly became a thought leader in understanding the impact of weather and environmental exposures on respiratory patients.

Amelia Haviland joined the Heinz College faculty as an Associate Professor in 2011. Prior to this position she was a Senior Statistician at the RAND Corporation where she worked since receiving her joint PhD in statistics and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University in 2003. She is the recipient of the Anna Loomis McCandless Chair, a Thomas Lord Distinguished Scholar Award (Institute for Civil Justice, RAND), a MacArthur Fellowship for Younger Scholars (MacArthur Research Network on Social Interactions and Economic Inequality), and a Wray Jackson Smith Scholarship (Section on Government Statistics, American Statistical Association). Dr. Haviland's research focuses on causal analysis with observational data and analysis of longitudinal and complex survey data applied to policy issues in health and criminology. For example, she recently led a team of researchers assessing the effects of high deductible account-based health insurance plans on health care costs, use, and disparities in the most comprehensive study on the topic to date. Other health policy work involves assessing mechanisms for health disparities for Medicare recipients and exploring connections between patient safety and recent reductions in medical malpractice claims. An example of her work in criminology is methodological work extending group-based trajectory modeling (semi-parametric longitudinal mixture models) to address causal questions with application to assessing the effect of gang membership on violent delinquency. She currently serves on the National Research Council Panel tasked with assessing the research evidence on whether there is a deterrent effect of the death penalty. This and other work of Dr. Haviland's has been published in journals such as Psychometrika, Psychological Methods, Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Human Resources, Survey Methodology, Criminology, Health Affairs, Health Services Research, Medical Care, and the Forum for Health Economics and Policy.

I’m a lifesciences compliance strategist with a passion for building real-world, right-sized programs in fast-moving environments. With deep experience in pharma and medtech, I specialize in translating regulatory complexity into practical, actionable frameworks. I’ve spent 7+ years navigating the gray areas of compliance—from training physicians on industry expectations to building startup programs from the ground up. I believe compliance should be ethical, functional, and human-centered—and that culture is built through clarity, storytelling, and respect, not fear. Outside of policy and audits, I speak regularly on startup compliance and love turning “boring” topics into memorable moments. I'm here to connect, create, and contribute.

With over 20 years of executive leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, I am passionate about creating positive social impact and system change through collaboration, strategy, and innovation. As the CEO of HealthForce Partners California, I lead a cross-sector, multi-regional, non-profit partnership that connects healthcare, education, and workforce development to mitigate workforce shortages and build career opportunities in the regions we serve.

Olusegun "Ish" Ishmael, MD, MBA, FACHE, is a physician executive and health-tech founder with 20+ years of C-suite leadership across safety-net health systems and Medicaid managed care, with a track record of translating strategy into measurable operational and clinical results. Most recently, he served as System Chief Operating Officer & Hospital President at MetroHealth (Cleveland), leading day-to-day operations for a $1.9B system with 8,000+ employees across multiple hospitals and 32 outpatient sites, driving $400M+ revenue growth, improving ED throughput and capacity, strengthening care management, and elevating patient experience. Previously at Sinai Health System (Chicago), he reduced ED boarding by a third and cut surgery cancellations in half through flow redesign, capacity optimization, and execution discipline. He has also led within Medicaid health plans with P&L accountability, improving medical cost performance while advancing outcomes and access. He is the CEO/Founder of MIRA Health, building a digital prevention and medication-adherence companion (with patented technology) designed to improve health outcomes, especially for people disadvantaged by socioeconomic barriers. An immigrant (came to the States at 5) physician-leader, he brings a practical, lived understanding of how systems can widen, or close, opportunity gaps, and he focuses his work on scalable solutions that make care simpler, more consistent, and more equitable. Topics I can speak on (expertise): ED throughput & capacity management; care management; patient experience; safety-net strategy; Medicaid policy/managed care; value-based care; health equity/SDOH; clinical leadership; workforce engagement and culture; digital health adoption; startup building; business growth; minority health issues; immigrant life; and executive leadership.

Experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the health IT industry. Strong community and social services professional skilled in U.S. Department of Defense, Information Technology Solutions, Customer Service, Consulting, Digital/Print Marketing, and Strategic Planning.

Litigation Communications Ann-Marie Adams offers strategic communications counseling to corporate executives, non-profit leaders, and individual clients, drawing on more than 20 years of experience. She views litigation communications as a critical strategic discipline. Statement on Teaching I remain focused on governance, regulation, and enforcement, and education plays a crucial role in building a society and a workforce ready to bridge the technology and human experience. As a college professor, I integrate critical thinking, public affairs, and legal frameworks to enable students to navigate complex media landscapes adeptly, with a focus on the average person rather than a learned community. Subject Matter & Research Interests The evolution of discourse, the multi-mobile nature of human interaction, and the laws/regulations that govern communication in digital environments. Improving human performance in navigating public forums in the digital landscape.

PhD in behavioral science (London School of Economics). Passionate about understanding decisions and behavior, specifically in the context of health and healthcare.