Jeffrey Koplan

Dr. Jeffrey P. Koplan ('66, Yale College) is an internationally renowned leader in the fields of public health and global health. In 2006, he founded the Emory Global Health Institute (EGHI) and served as its Director until 2013. As Emory’s Vice President for Global Health, he continues to be actively involved in EGHI programs, which provide multidisciplinary global health research, training, and partnership opportunities to Emory faculty and students. A former Director (1998-2002) and 26-year veteran of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Koplan began his public health career in the early 1970s as a member of the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service. Throughout his career, he has worked on many major public health issues in the U.S. and abroad including infectious diseases such as smallpox, SARS, pandemic influenza, and HIV/AIDS. Dr. Koplan has also worked on chronic diseases resulting from tobacco use and obesity and environmental health issues such as the Bhopal chemical disaster. Dr. Koplan is a graduate of Yale College, the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health. He is a Master of the American College of Physicians and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine. He has written more than 240 scientific papers on numerous public health issues and has co-authored two books on childhood obesity. He has served on numerous advisory groups and consultancies in the U.S. and overseas. He is a trustee of the China Medical Board and the CDC Foundation Board. He is a former trustee of Yale University. Dr. Koplan has received numerous awards throughout his career including the China Friendship Award, the highest honor that the Chinese government bestows on foreign nationals.