SUNY Downstate Appoints New Dean of School of Public Health
Nov 15, 2018
Kitaw Demissie, M.D., Ph.D. and nationally-recognized public health leader brings four decades of academic and investigative experience
Kitaw Demissie, M.D., Ph.D. Photo: K. Demissie
BROOKLYN, NY—SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University today announced the appointment of Kitaw Demissie, M.D., Ph.D., as the next Dean of the School of Public Health. A nationally-recognized academic public health leader and researcher in the fields of health disparities and minority health, perinatal health, and cancer, who is committed to the success of young scientists, Dr. Demissie will officially join SUNY Downstate in early January 2019.
“Dr. Demissie is a highly-regarded public health professional, academic administrator, teacher, and mentor,” said SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University president Wayne J. Riley, M.D. “We are excited that he will join us and look forward to working with him in the School of Public health to further Downstate’s efforts at addressing challenging health disparities facing our communities.”
“I am eager to join a truly unique academic medical center where work in urban health and health disparities are valued and considered vital,” said Dean-Designee Demissie. “I look forward to working closely with School of Public Health students, faculty, and staff in charting its course that builds upon tradition and emerging strengths in order to take it to new heights."
In addition to his years of academic and investigative experience—including training at prestigious medical institutes such as Addis Ababa University, McGill University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and the National Cancer Institute—Dr. Demissie has mentored over 100 physician and non-physician scientists and is the recipient of several Excellence in Teaching Awards. Dr. Demissie is currently the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at Rutgers University School of Public Health.
Dr. Demissie has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in journals including Evidence Based Medicine and American Journal of Epidemiology. Dr. Demissie is also a nationally recognized investigator in molecular epidemiology, cancer disparities, cancer prevention and control, and population sciences.
The search for the Dean of the School of Public Health was conducted by a Committee chaired by Michael Joseph, Ph.D., MPH (Downstate SPH Faculty); Aimee Afable, Ph.D., MPH (SPH Downstate Faculty); Karen Benker, M.D., MPH (SPH Downstate Faculty); Jo Ivey Bufford, M.D., (NYU Faculty); Jeffrey Borer, M.D., FACC, FAHA (Downstate College of Medicine Faculty); Lori Escallier, Ph.D., RN, CPNP-PC, FAAN(Dean, Downstate College of Nursing); Ms. Maha Attieh, Health Program Manager of the Arab-American Family Support Center and Chair of Downstate SPH's Community Advisory Group, and students Garry Graham (Downstate SPH DrPH) and Priya Pasram (Downstate SPH DrPH).
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.