August 9, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala – Max Michael, M.D., dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health, has named Craig Wilson, M.D., professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the UAB School of Medicine, director of the Sparkman Center for Global Health at the school, effective Aug.1. He replaces Sheila Andrus, Ph.D., who left UAB.
The mission of the Sparkman Center for Global Health is to contribute to solutions of health problems in developing countries through graduate-level public health education, research and training programs. Its programs are organized collaboratively with academic institutions, international agencies and health ministries within host countries. Additionally, the center works to enhance the capacity of the UAB community to engage, prepare and support current and future health professionals through a global health agenda.
“Dr. Wilson brings to the Sparkman Center and the school extensive global experience, especially related to HIV/AIDS in Africa,” Michael said. “During the initial phase of his appointment Dr. Wilson will work closely with the department chairs and others on campus to recruit to UAB additional faculty with global expertise and expand grant funding for global initiatives.”
Wilson has been with UAB since 1991. In addition to his appointment as a professor in the UAB School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Pediatrics, he has appointments in the Division of Geographic Medicine in UAB Department of Medicine as well as in Microbiology and the Department of Epidemiology. Wilson has done both laboratory and clinical research while in Geographic Medicine and was Interim Division Director.
Wilson’s work with HIV infections in adolescents was initiated with the REACH study (1994-2001) and is continuing with the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN), which began in 2001. His other research interests are in the area of sustainable interventions for HIV prevention and control in resource poor areas. He works with other UAB faculty and Zambian collaborators to support and facilitate ongoing HIV research and management work through the UAB-affiliated Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ).
The Sparkman Center, established in 1979 with a congressional appropriation through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to UAB, has a history of successful collaboration with institutions abroad in implementing graduate level educational/training programs in public health, including Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima Peru, Chiang Mai University in Thailand, University of West Indies in Kinston Jamaica, Universidad de Valle in Cali Colombia and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDRB) to implement public health programs in these respective countries. In addition, the center has collaborated with the World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization and sponsored numerous short-term training programs in these and various other developing countries.