School of Public Health Dean

Galea appointed inaugural Margaret C. Ryan Dean of planned WashU School of Public Health

Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, one of the world’s most influential public health leaders, has been named the inaugural Margaret C. Ryan Dean of the university’s planned School of Public Health, effective January 2024. In addition to the new deanship, Galea will also hold the Eugene S. and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professorship in Public Health.

In this critical leadership role, Galea will help shape and launch WashU’s first new school in 100 years. The school is part of Here and Next, WashU’s 10-year strategic plan to make both the university and St. Louis a global hub for solving society’s deepest challenges.

With the launch of the new school, WashU will build on its existing public health strengths in research, teaching and clinical practice, and expand its commitment to the field. The school will concentrate on researching and advancing solutions to pressing issues and building partnerships for real-world impact in critical areas such as infectious disease; mental, global and environmental health; and dissemination and implementation science.

Now is the time for public health leadership. And leadership is the business of a great university like WashU.

Sandro Galea

Galea’s wife, Margaret E. Kruk, MD, MPH, has also joined the WashU faculty. At WashU, she will serve as a distinguished professor in health systems and medicine in the Department of Medicine and as director of the universitywide QuEST Center. 

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About Sandro Galea

A physician, epidemiologist and author, Galea is one of the most cited social scientists in the world, having written more than 1,000 scientific journal articles, 75 chapters and 24 books. His books “Epidemiology Matters” and “Public Health: An Introduction to the Science and Practice of Population Health” are widely used as textbooks in public health and epidemiology courses. Thomson Reuters has named Galea among “the world’s most influential scientific minds.”

Galea’s research focuses on the behavioral health ramifications of trauma, including those caused by firearms. He has documented the consequences of trauma and conflict worldwide — examining the massive toll of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa, and the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also is known for his research linking health to social disadvantages such as poverty and lack of education. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and philanthropic foundations. 

Galea is past chair of the board of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health and past president of the Society for Epidemiologic Research and of the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science. He served as chair of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Community Services Board and as a member of its Health Board. He currently serves as chair of the Boston Public Health Commission Board of Health, and he is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Galea has received several lifetime achievement awards for his research, including the Rema Lapouse Award from the American Public Health Association and the Robert S. Laufer, PhD, Memorial Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. He is a regular contributor to media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Boston Globe and TEDMED.

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We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the members of the Nominations and Recruitment and Interdisciplinary Consultation committees for their invaluable contributions to the search for our new dean of the School of Public Health. Identifying a leader of this caliber required a unique approach, and your dedication and expertise were instrumental in this process.

Leveraging our vast public health network, our committees sourced over 100 potential candidates, facilitated virtual town hall sessions, and managed an online nomination submission form. Thank you to the following groups for your unwavering commitment and exceptional service:

Interdisciplinary Consulting Committee

Nominations and Recruitment Committee