INDIANAPOLIS — Debra K. Litzelman, M.D., has been named the first D. Craig Brater Professor of Global Health Education at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
The position was created to honor the retiring dean of the school and to attract a world-class expert to oversee educational initiatives that are vital to train the next generation of skilled, altruistic medical professionals for Indiana and beyond.
Dr. Litzelman, a professor of medicine, has been director of education at the IU Center for Global Health and a member of its executive board of directors since 2010. She joined the IU School of Medicine faculty in 1989 and has served in several key positions in educational affairs at the university, as well as director of education for the Indiana University-Moi University, Kenya Partnership since 2009.
“I have worked with Deb for the last couple of decades,” said Bob Einterz, M.D., director of the IU Center for Global Health. “She is a terrific clinician, educator and researcher with a wealth of experience working in underserved areas of our globe, from Indianapolis to Kenya. I particularly appreciate and value her passion for eliminating health disparities and improving health for all.”
The IU Center for Global Health develops partnerships across disciplines, schools and countries for the primary purpose of creating and implementing programs that improve health and living situations in underserved areas worldwide, and preparing the next generation of local, national and global health leaders.
The D. Craig Brater Chair in Global Health Education was established to honor the ninth dean of the IU School of Medicine at the time of his retirement this past summer. Dr. Brater and his wife, Stephanie, have been traveling to Kenya for nearly 20 years in support of AMPATH, the school’s widely celebrated program there, and the Indiana University-Moi University Partnership. The Braters have been deeply passionate about the work in sub-Saharan Africa to curb the tide of HIV and provide health care and medical education to Kenyans.
“Being named as the first Brater Professor of Global Health Education is both an enormous honor and the personal highlight of my career,” Dr. Litzelman said. “This endowed chair will allow me to focus my combined passions for addressing the health needs of vulnerable populations, developing and implementing innovative medical education programs, and advancing health care workforce development with a new level of intensity around the globe. It also will provide me with the needed time to continue to help the IU Center for Global Health grow and flourish. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve IU in this capacity.”