UNC Project in Lilongwe, Malawi

IGHID Mission Statement

UNC-Chapel Hill is committed to improving health in North Carolina and around the world. The UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID) will advance this goal by promoting global health research, teaching, and service activities across campus. IGHID recognizes that the most pressing health challenges and emerging diseases know no boundaries: global health is local health. IGHID will foster an environment in which faculty, students and the broader University community work together in unique and innovative ways to address critical issues in global health, and to shape the next generation of global health leaders.

Interview with Peggy Bentley, Associate Dean for Global Health, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and Associate Director of UNC's new Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases ( press release) 

Q: How will the new Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases help expand global health at UNC?
Dr. Bentley: The Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases came out of discussions Mike Cohen, Director of the Center for Infectious Diseases in the School of Medicine, and I had with a variety of leaders across campus.  UNC-Chapel Hill is among a small minority of public and private universities with extensive and long-standing strength in global health, including broad and important areas, such as nutrition, water, and infectious diseases.  The new Institute is seen as a way to catalyze this amazing depth and breadth of global health research, education and service being done across UNC and around the world, making the work even stronger and deeper.  The Office of Global Health in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health (OGH) has been playing a central coordinating role for global health across campus, particularly through funding from the Fogarty International Center and the Framework Program in Global Health grant that the OGH received.  The new Institute will expand on these efforts and has strong institutional support for sustainability.

Is the Office of Global Health in the UNC School of Public Health a part of the new Institute? 
Dr. Bentley: The Office of Global Health is both part of the School of Public Health and an integral part of the new IGHID.  I will be the Associate Director of the Institute, working closely with the Director, Myron Cohen and staff. I will serve as a key linkage between the two units.  There is also an Advisory Board to the Institute, and the School of Public Health Dean, Barbara Rimer, serves on the Board.

Will your role as Associate Dean of Global Health at the School of Public Health change? 
Dr. Bentley: This role, like other leadership roles in this university and any university, evolves with the times. As global health becomes an even more central, foundational part of UNC, my role evolves. I am excited and invigorated by the recent developments. My Associate Dean for Global Health and Professor of Nutrition roles now encompass the activities of the IGHID.  I am delighted to expand my role in global health and expect considerable synergy and collaborations.

Will the mission and/or function of the Office of Global Health change with the creation of this Institute?  
Dr. Bentley: No, we will continue to work within the SPH advocating for the continued expansion of global health teaching, research and practice. We will also continue to work across the campus in an interdisciplinary approach to solve global health issues since it is only through a variety of perspectives that true solutions can be found.  

Will the Office of Global Health move to the new Global Education Center?
Dr. Bentley: No, the Office of Global Health remains a unit of the School of Public Health and will stay in the School (124 Rosenau, http://www.sph.unc.edu/globalhealth). The primary location of the Institute is in the Bioinformatics Building. See map.

What are some of the initiatives that the Office of Global Health will collaborate on with the Institute?
Dr. Bentley: Some of the joint efforts will include the new global health track in the Curriculum in International and Area Studies; a study abroad program in London; joint seminars; and linking websites. More activities will be identified as the Institute gets up and running. We also expect to undertake joint faculty appointments.

Will the weekly email newsletter, This Week in Global Health, remain the primary form of communication about global health events at UNC and in the region?
Dr. Bentley: Yes. The Office of Global Health will continue to publish This Week in Global Health and the Institute will provide information on their activities and initiatives. We will also expand the distribution by collaborating across the various global health programs at UNC.