Lessons Learned from Past Prize Winners

The summit featured a number of Yale School of Public Health experts discussing a future with radically different funding and priorities.

Some of the sharpest minds in health innovation—including alumni and faculty from the Yale School of Public Health—will convene in New Haven on May 28 and 29 for the annual Yale Innovation Summit.

Experts shared insights on the transformative role of data science in public health at a two-day conference hosted by Yale School of Public Health in March.

March 11, 2025, marks five years since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. We asked Yale School of Public Health faculty, staff, students, and alumni to reflect on the lessons they have learned since March 11, 2020, and how to apply those lessons if we are confronted with another health crisis. Their responses highlight the importance of community, collaboration, communication, and innovation.

This Spotlight on Teaching shines on Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, PhD, professor of public health (social and behavioral sciences), and his focus on a “flipped” classroom model.

On November 15th, participants in the Yale Sustainable Health Initiative Venture Development Program (VDP) pitched ideas for innovative global health ventures as part of the Kalyanpur-Maheshwari Grant for Global Health Innovation Pitch Competition. The winning group, Respond Crisis Translation, was selected by a panel of judges based on innovativeness, quality of their pitch, ongoing engagement with the VDP, and demonstration of impact. Respond received t $5,000 to support their ongoing work.

Meet the biotech startups brewing milk in bioreactors to improve on baby formula. YSPH Professor Rafael Perez-Escamilla has concerns.

Blair Palmer (MPH ‘01) is a purpose-driven and visionary social impact leader with senior management experience in the public and private sectors. With a deep passion for innovation, strategic partnerships, and epidemiology, Blair holds experience working at UNICEF, the United Nations, and the World Health Organization. She is passionate about applying entrepreneurial solutions to the world’s most pressing issues. Throughout the conversation, she shared her career journey and provided practical advice for students looking to bring innovative solutions into the realm of public health.

Kailey Seiler (‘MPH 24) is the User-centered Design Lead at the Laboratory of Intelligent Global Health Technologies (LiGHT), a research group established in 2023 that develops technologies to support high-stakes decision-making in humanitarian response and low-resource settings. Before graduating this past May, Kailey was InnovateHealth Yale’s student fellow, supporting Yale’s innovation initiatives and partnerships. In this conversation, she opened up about her academic and career journey, providing practical advice for students looking to land their first job in global health innovation.