Center for Methods in Implementation and Prevention Science (CMIPS) Seminar Series: "The Commitment to Global Health: an NHLBI Perspective"

Dr. Makeda Williams is the Global Health Program Director for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). As NHLBI’s senior advisor in global health, Dr. Williams collaboratively develops and implements NHLBI’s vision and strategy for global health research addressing heart, lung, blood and sleep diseases. She provides scientific program leadership in global health research across our portfolio, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Dr. Williams is strategically located in the Health Inequities and Global Health Branch of NHLBI’s Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science, where she collaboratively engages in late-stage translation research, implementation science, and research training activities that build research capacity in LMICs. Prior to joining NHLBI, Dr. Williams previously served as Chief of Global Mental Health Effectiveness Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and International Program Officer at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). She also participated in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) International Experience and Technical Assistance Program at CDC Zambia and the Center for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia where she developed strategies and trained health care professionals on cervical cancer and HIV/STD prevention. Dr. Williams received awards from the directors of NIH, NCI, NIMH and NHLBI on her efforts on global health research and training activities; data science research capacity building in Africa; digital health technology for underserved populations; and NIH’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) program for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tools. Dr. Williams received her BA in Psychology from Emory University, MPH in Maternal and Child Health from The George Washington University, and Ph.D. in Health Education/Health Promotion from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Williams completed the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Emerging Leaders Program, and is a member of the Delta Omega Honor Society in Public Health.