WASHINGTON, D.C. — October 26, 2015 — The Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) today announced that Denise Garrett, MD, MSc, has joined the organization as director of the Coalition against Typhoid (CaT) secretariat.
Prior to joining Sabin, Dr. Garrett spent 23 years working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a medical epidemiologist and, later, as a medical officer. During her time with the CDC, Dr. Garrett served as the resident advisor to the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) in Brazil, the team lead on the Tuberculosis Epidemiologic Studies Consortium (TBESC), and as the resident advisor to the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative in Angola.
“Dr. Garrett brings unparalleled experience working with infectious diseases and collaborating with international governments and universities, as well as private sector, non-governmental and global health organizations,” said Dr. Jon Andrus, executive vice president and director of Vaccine Advocacy and Education at Sabin. “Her leadership, diverse background and advanced technical skills make her a valuable addition to Sabin and the Coalition against Typhoid.”
After earning her master’s in human biology and her medical degree from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Dr. Garrett worked as a general practitioner at the Governmental Health Facility of Nova Lima in Brazil. She later accepted a position as a visiting researcher at Emory University/VA Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia, before joining the CDC.
“I am thrilled to join Sabin and hope to build on CaT’s progress in the fight against typhoid,” said Dr. Garrett. “Though there is much work to be done, I look forward to collaborating with Coalition members and stakeholders to reach endemic communities and expand access to a safe, effective and affordable typhoid vaccine.”
Under Dr. Garrett’s leadership, CaT will present a symposium titled, “Typhoid Fever Vaccine Use in Developing Countries: An Analysis of Existing Data and Strategy Development for the Future,” at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. The symposium will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 10:15 a.m.-noon. For more information on the presentation, please click here.
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About the Coalition against Typhoid (CaT)
The Coalition against Typhoid (CaT) is a global forum of health experts working to expedite and sustain rational, evidence-based decisions at the global, regional, national and municipal levels regarding the use of typhoid vaccines to prevent childhood enteric fever. CaT also works to define barriers to the adoption of typhoid vaccines in communities that would benefit most and the key activities that are needed to overcome them. The Sabin Vaccine Institute serves as the CaT Secretariat which is supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The CaT objectives are accomplished through the activities of its membership. For more information please visit www.coalitionagainsttyphoid.org.
About the Sabin Vaccine Institute
The Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization of scientists, researchers and advocates dedicated to reducing needless human suffering from vaccine-preventable and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Since its founding in 1993 in honor of Dr. Albert B. Sabin, the developer of the oral polio vaccine, Sabin has been at the forefront of global efforts to eliminate, prevent and cure infectious and neglected tropical diseases.
Sabin develops new vaccines, advocates for increased use of existing vaccines and promotes expanded access to affordable medical treatments in collaboration with governments, academic institutions, scientists, medical professionals and other non-profit organizations. For more information please visit www.sabin.org.
Media Contact:
Name: Kelly Toves
Phone: +1 (202) 621-1691
Email: kelly.toves@sabin.org
