Project HOPE Welcomes New Directors on its Board
Syra Madad and Ronald T. Piervincenzi Bring Decades of Public Health Experience
Washington, D.C. (30 July 2024) – The global health and humanitarian organization Project HOPE is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to its Board of Directors: Syra Madad, DHSc, MSc, MCP, CHEP and Ronald T. Piervincenzi, PhD. Dr. Madad is an internationally recognized public health leader and epidemiologist in special pathogens preparedness and response and Dr. Piervincenzi is an esteemed expert in pharmaceutical sciences, research, and development. Both leaders have dedicated their careers to improving health outcomes and bring a wealth of expertise and passion to the Project HOPE board.
“The renowned Dr. Syra Madad and Dr. Ronald T. Piervincenzi have joined Project HOPE at a critical inflection point in our collective global health. We are witnessing record rates of displacement, significant health worker shortages, humanitarian crises, a climate emergency, and declining mental health – all of which make our work more urgent than ever before,” said Project HOPE’s President and CEO, Rabih Torbay. “Both Dr. Madad and Dr. Piervincenzi share our commitment to working hand-in-hand with local health workers to provide urgent relief and lasting impact for communities around the world, and we couldn’t be more fortunate to welcome them to our board.”
“Project HOPE has over 65 years of experience providing health care around the globe, but we must continue to iterate and expand our support to ensure that we are meeting the present moment,” said Project HOPE’s Board Chair, Reynold Mooney. “Syra and Ron are seasoned experts who will bring fresh perspectives and a deep bench of knowledge to our Board of Directors to ensure that we are continuing to support the organization in transforming the health of communities, particularly for those facing health inequities or living through conflict, crises, and disasters.”
Syra Madad, DHSc, MSc, MCP, CHEP joined the Project HOPE board in January and was featured as a keynote speaker at the organization’s Beacons of HOPE benefit last fall. Dr. Madad was recently appointed as the new Chief Biopreparedness Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals where she now leads the systemwide special pathogens team in preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. Prior to that, she served as NYC H+H’s Senior Director of the System-wide Special Pathogens Program and Co-Principal Investigator at the Institute of Disaster and Disaster Management. She is also a Core Faculty in the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC), affiliate faculty at the Center for Emerging Infectious Disease Policy & Research at Boston University, and a Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Dr. Madad’s work focuses on the preparedness for, response to, and recovery from infectious disease outbreaks with an emphasis on healthcare and public health biopreparedness. She has responded to multiple infectious disease outbreaks including Ebola, Zika, MPox, and COVID-19. Dr. Madad is also featured in the Netflix docuseries “Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak” and the Discovery Channel documentary, “The Vaccine: Conquering COVID.”
“I am deeply honored to join the Board of Directors at Project HOPE, an organization that epitomizes humanitarian efforts and global health advancement. In an era of unprecedented health challenges, from infectious disease outbreaks to humanitarian crises, Project HOPE’s unwavering commitment to providing access to quality health care perfectly aligns with my passion for global health equity,” said Dr. Syra Madad. “I am excited to contribute to their mission of delivering transformative solutions that create lasting impacts in communities worldwide.”
Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D. joined the Project HOPE board in June. Piervincenzi serves as the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Trustees for US Pharmacopeia (USP) where he provides strategic leadership to USP’s global staff of over 1,300 across the globe. During his decade-long tenure as CEO at USP, he has helped modernize its operations and launch innovative science, including in the areas of digital medicine, cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, and advanced biologics, and has built a growing suite of “capability building” service offerings, including quality manufacturing consulting, donor-funded work, and education. Before joining USP, Piervincenzi served as Vice President of Development Sciences with Biogen, where he designed and launched Biogen’s value-based medicine group focusing on applying tools and technologies of personalized medicine in the treatment and management of multiple sclerosis. He is also a former partner and leader in McKinsey & Company’s global pharmaceutical and medical products practice where he helped to launch McKinsey’s global drug safety, medical, and regulatory service line and led the global research and information analytics team.
“I’m thrilled to join Project HOPE’s board and contribute to their efforts to bridge gaps in health equity that deliver positive results in our communities on the ground where it can have the most immediate impact,” said Dr. Ronald T. Piervincenzi. “At USP, we work with governments, manufacturers, and health care providers to increase the available supply of quality medicines for all. I look forward to sharing my insights and experience with Project HOPE to support the impact of their work in addressing health inequities around the world.”
View the full list of Project HOPE’s Board of Directors here. For interview requests, contact media@projecthope.org.
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About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE is a leading global health and humanitarian organization operating in more than 25 countries around the world. We work side-by-side with local health systems to save lives and improve health. Our mission is at the epicenter of today’s greatest health challenges, including infectious and chronic diseases, disasters and health crises, maternal, neonatal and child health and the policies that impact how health care is delivered. For more information on Project HOPE and its work around the world, visit www.ProjectHOPE.org and follow us on Twitter @ProjectHOPEorg.
