
The Task Force for Global Health is delighted to welcome Dr. Stephen Keith, MD, MSPH, to its Board of Directors. As senior medical director of Syneos Health, a global clinical research organization, Keith has served as the lead Medical Monitor on a broad range of neurologic, infectious disease and other clinical trials, and is actively engaged in efforts to increase racial and ethnic diversity in clinical trials both outside and within the company.
Keith brings vast experience as a seasoned medical professional and senior executive of various pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as leadership in professional organizations. Some of his previous roles include CEO of Vivacelle Bio, Inc.; CEO of the American College of Clinical Pharmacology; President and Chief Operating Officer of Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Vice President, Marketing and Sales, at North American Vaccine, Inc.; and various positions at Merck & Co. Keith completed his residency in pediatrics and fellowship as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Pediatrics and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics. (Full bio here.)
We caught up with him to learn more:
How do you feel your expertise as a medical professional will guide and impact your role as a Task Force board member ?
I have been fortunate to have years of experience as a pediatric clinician, in health services research, as a staffer working for Senator Edward Kennedy on the US Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, as the leader of nonprofit health care organizations, and as a senior executive with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. As such, I understand the needs of large populations and individual patients.
What are you hoping to accomplish as a member of The Task Force Board?
I hope to support the continued growth and significant impact of the Task Force across several disease targets and geographies, working with the CEO and other board members.
What skills or assets do you hope to contribute?
I have served on several nonprofit boards, as well as public and private companies, and served on governance, audit and executive committees. I also hope to leverage my contacts in philanthropy and the corporate world to increase support for vitally important Task Force programs.
What global health issues would you like to see the organization address?
I would like to encourage an examination of whether the Task Force could play a role in reducing wealth inequality within specific countries and across regions as a means to improve health status of all, most likely through one or more demonstration projects.
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