Akbar K. Waljee, MD, MS is the Leslie D. Yamada and Tachi Yamada M.D. Director, University of Michigan Center for Global Health Equity. Waljee is an assistant dean of Global Health Research and Lyle C. Roll Professor, departments of Learning Health Sciences and Internal Medicine. He is also a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan. Originally from Nairobi, Kenya, Waljee has dedicated his career to improving health and healthcare access, quality, and efficiency, particularly in resource-constrained settings. He is widely recognized for leveraging advanced methodological approaches, including artificial intelligence, to inform better decision-making and to deliver effective, equitable care both locally and globally. His work has been supported by a range of grant funding, including the Veterans Affairs Health Systems Research, the National Institutes of Health, the State of Michigan, and the Department of Defense. Waljee earned his undergraduate degree in biology and his medical degree from Emory University. He completed his internal medicine residency and gastroenterology/hepatology fellowship at the University of Michigan, joining the U-M Medical School faculty in 2009.
Ellen Meader, PhD, MEd is a seasoned administrator with over thirty years of experience in higher education and has worked at U-M in several different capacities. Prior to her current position, Ellen was an Assistant Vice Provost for Equity, Inclusion, and Academic Affairs in the Provost’s Office. She also worked with the U-M ADVANCE Program focusing on equitable and preemptive strategies in faculty recruitment, retention, climate, and leadership; in the Rackham Graduate School as a program manager in the Office of Graduate Student Success; and in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts in the Office of the Dean as a Research and Policy Analyst. Ellen received her PhD from U-M’s Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education (CSHPE).
Director, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation; Professor of Medicine and Healthcare Policy, Medical School
Professor of Environment and Sustainability, School for Environment and Sustainability
Paul R Lichter Research Professor; Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Medical School; Research Associate Professor, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research
Associate Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health; Associate Professor of Global Public Health, School of Public Health; Faculty Associate, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research
Director, Strategic Development of Global Initiatives, U-M Medical School; Professor of Medicine and Learning Health Sciences, U-M Medical School; Professor of Health Management and Policy, U-M School of Public Health
Professor of Learning Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School
Research Assistant Professor, Learning Health Sciences
Research Assistant Professor, Pharmacology, Medical School
Research Assistant Professor, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research; Faculty Associate, Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research
Research Scientist, Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, Institute for Social Research
Administrative partner for the Yamada Director and team leaders, providing operational and Data Collaborative support.
Administrative partner for senior leadership, supporting procedures, operations and budget.
Leads the Data Collaborative, Kenya interest group and the Climate Vulnerability and Health member community.
Leads multimedia strategy and creative production across print, digital, video, and web.
Leads policy, partnerships and innovation initiatives and Ghana interest group.
Leads education, mentoring, Impact Scholars program, and Latin American interest group, and manages the Women and Communities member community.
Behind this team is a full slate of funding, programs and partnerships open to U-M faculty and their collaborators, near and far. See where you fit.
A shared space for researchers and partners to build and use data infrastructure that advances health equity.
A postdoc-level training program for early-career researchers preparing to launch independent careers in global health equity.
Hands-on experience for graduate-level students ready to contribute to global health equity work.
A competition inviting U-M student organizations to pitch bold ideas in global health equity.
A program created to prepare future leaders who use rigorous research to advance justice, health, and health equity through a human rights framework.
