Adnan Hyder, a globally renowned doctor and scholar who has devoted a quarter of a century to improving health care in low- and middle-income countries, will be the new dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health, as well as BU’s Robert A. Knox Professor, effective August 15. The professorship supports a faculty member who demonstrates excellence in teaching, scholarship, and research, as well as impact on society.
Hyder is the senior associate dean for research and innovation and professor of global health at the George Washington University (GWU) Milken Institute School of Public Health. He pioneered research in health care systems in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, says Gloria Waters, BU provost and chief academic officer. He also worked in those regions to promote injury prevention and biomedical ethics.
“I started my career with the mission of social justice, and it aligns so well with SPH [at Boston University],” Hyder says, “a top-10 school of public health that has grown so much but did not forget its roots. My focus is to be in service of a mission and a community that knows its worth, and I have found it at SPH.
“BU further attracted me with its quest for excellence, equity, and justice, and its openness to innovation and strong new leadership. I also want a school of public health to be an engaged citizen of a great university, and I can see SPH playing that role here at BU.”
“We are thrilled that Dr. Hyder is joining us at Boston University,” BU President Melissa Gilliam says, “during this important moment for public health in the United States and across the world. His strong experience as a leading interdisciplinary researcher, innovative scholar, and advocate for improved global healthcare will serve the School of Public Health well. I look forward to working closely with him and continuing to strengthen the ties between the Charles River and Medical campuses.”
At GWU, Hyder led the first United States center dedicated to studying corporate influence on health and policy via products such as tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed foods, and fossil fuels. That work includes studying the firearms industry. Hyder co-chairs a commission on global gun violence, in collaboration with Britain’s Lancet medical journal, seeking remedies based on research and best practices. “My career has been about developing research capacity in low-middle income countries, and that has spanned topics like injury/trauma, violence, and non-communicable diseases,” he says.
Waters adds that his research, supported by the National Institutes of Health, “has additionally made significant contributions” to injury prevention and non-communicable diseases in those regions.
“It was evident from the outset,” she says, “that his principle-driven approach and ability to articulate a clear, compelling organizational vision, develop important new fields of research, and build strong rapport across all constituencies are an ideal fit for our needs at SPH. … We believe strongly that Dr. Hyder’s leadership, and the collaboration of a truly elite community of researchers, teachers, practitioners, and support staff, position SPH for a new era of excellence.”
As for the to-do list facing Hyder at SPH, Hyder says that “all schools of public health are facing challenges to their funding, research support, and educational enterprise currently. We will work on these together as a community, and grow our research, increase our student network, build our financial health, and promote our core mission. We will engage locally, enhance our national impact, and continue to build the global reputation of SPH–and work together to strengthen our impact across research, education and service.”
He adds that “we must take care of our own community, to ensure SPH is the best place to work for all faculty, staff and students. I believe in the social accountability of academic institutions and making our work relevant and useful to real people. BU is a great place to do this, and we will discuss and strategize more about doing it better in the coming years. I am grateful that the leadership of BU is entrusting me with this responsibility and their vision of building great academic programs, efficient operations, and a culture of caring.”
A native of Pakistan who earned his medical degree at that nation’s Aga Khan University School of Medicine, Hyder moved to the United States in 1992 and received a master’s in public health and his PhD from Johns Hopkins. He spent 20 years on the Hopkins faculty, where he developed a research center before moving to George Washington University in 2008, Hyder succeeds Sandro Galea as SPH dean. This year, the school has been led by dean ad interim Michael Stein, chair and professor of health law, policy, and management.