The Robert E. Black Chair in International Health

The Robert E. Black Chair in International Health was created to recognize the public health legacy of ROBERT E. BLACK, MD, MPH, who chaired the Department of International Health from 1985 to 2013. He is a leading global advocate for improved child survival and development. Dr. Black’s research built the case for the best ways to prevent child deaths from malnutrition and infectious diseases in low-income countries. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and has received prestigious international awards for his seminal research on the effects of zinc deficiency in children and for his Lancet series showing the adverse consequences of undernutrition for mothers and children, as well as adults who were malnourished earlier in life. A portion of the funding to create the chair position was provided through a pre-existing endowment in recognition of Al Sommer.