A transformative interdisciplinary resource, the Global Center for Health Security will grow the university and university-led initiatives dealing with highly infectious diseases in a more cohesive and collaborative way.
The Global Center will be led by an executive council comprised of John Lowe Ph.D., Chris Kratochvil, M.D., and Ken Bayles, Ph.D. The interdisciplinary executive council will lead the development and coordination of health security training and education, clinical research and basic research.
Dr. Lowe has been appointed assistant vice chancellor for interprofessional health security training and education. He will lead coordination of existing health security training programs, including the National Ebola Training and Education Center, the National Center for Health Security and Biopreparedness and the Biosafety Infectious Disease Training Consortium. Dr. Lowe also will coordinate the development of novel academic and professional infectious disease education programs at the university.
Dr. Kratochvil, associate vice chancellor for clinical research, will lead the coordination of health security clinical research initiatives for the university. Dr. Kratochvil serves as a member of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit leadership team and coordinates research to improve clinical treatment and clinical practice for infectious diseases. Dr. Kratochvil also will coordinate the development of novel clinical research infrastructures to advance rapid response to infectious disease threats.
Dr. Kratochvil will co-lead clinical care initiatives with Shelly Schwedhelm, executive director of emergency preparedness at Nebraska Medicine.
Dr. Bayles, associate vice chancellor for basic research, is leading the Global Center through coordination of basic research initiatives throughout the university. Dr. Bayles will coordinate initiatives to advance vaccine, antibiotic and diagnostic product development to combat health threats. Dr. Bayles also will lead intercampus initiatives to establish a drug development pipeline and a program to develop the next generation of scientists for biological defense research.
The Global Center for Health Security will create new opportunities for the university and expand its impact on health security. It also will closely collaborate with the National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI), whose mission is to counter weapons of mass destruction and emerging infectious diseases through partnerships with the U.S. Department of Defense.
In addition to the NSRI, the Global Center will include faculty, staff and student resources from the UNMC Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing and Public Health; UNMC’s primary clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine; the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Engineering; and the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Arts and Sciences.