US BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors has diverse experience in global health, education, management, medicine, community-building, and social entrepreneurship.

Isma Benattia, MD

After earning her Medical Degree in Psychiatry from the University of Algiers, Dr. Benattia practiced in Paris, working frequently with African immigrants and publishing widely. She has led global clinical programs at Eli Lilly and Pfizer, and served as Executive Vice President of Global Research and Development at Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, Inc. Isma has traveled extensively through West Africa.

Christopher Bull, PhD

Trained as an electrical and mechanical engineer, Mr. Bull is now a Senior Research Engineer and Senior Lecturer at Brown University. He is the co-author of several books on technology and development, including Appropriate Technology: Tools, Choices, and Implications., Mr. Bull teaches several courses on technology for the developing world and is heavily involved in Engineers Without Borders.

Joseph Camardo, MD

Currently a Senior Vice President at Forest Research Institute, Dr. Camardo is a trained internist. Following a cardiology fellowship at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, he went on to direct research on a therapeutic vaccine for HIV infection and rotavirus vaccines and conduct wide research in infectious disease and women's health. As a member of the American College of Physicians and Fellow of the Philadelphia College of Physicians, Dr. Camardo has served on nonprofits boards in health, education, and music.

Maureen Caulfield, MD, Chair of the Board

Dr. Caulfield holds a Masters in Bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania. Trained as a pediatric gastroenterologist, she has worked at AstraZeneca and most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Global Safety Surveillance and Epidemiology at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

Caitlin Cohen, Candidate for MD

Ms. Cohen, an MHOP co-founder, is currently pursuing a Medical Degree and Masters in Business Administration after winning the prestigious Jack Kente Cook Scholarship. After moving to Sikoro at the age of 19, she has gone on to work in primary care, AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder in Rwanda, Mali, and other West African countries.

Alan Harlam

After working at a consultant at Accenture, Mr. Harlam went on to counsel turn-around businesses at Flat River Capital. After shifting to the social entrepreneurship sector, he joined Amos House, a Rhode Island-based nonprofit serving the homeless with food, shelter, and job training. As the current Director of Social Entrepreneurship at Brown University, Mr. Harlam leads the Social Innovation Initiative where he advises and supports dozens of entrepreneurial initiatives in fields like health, education, and development.

Erin Kitchell, Candidate for PhD

Ms. Kitchell has over five years of experience in education, participatory program design, and community mobilization in the United States, Guadeloupe, and West Africa. From 2006-2008 she served with Peace Corps in Senegal, where she worked as a health liason for a rural village and Training Coordinator for SeneGAD. Ms. Kitchell worked as Mali Health's Programs Director from 2010-2011. She is currently sutdying for her PhD in Geography at the University of Wisconsin.

Eileen Lach, JD, MPA

Ms. Lach holds a JD from New York University and an MPA in International Development from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton. She has served as the Corporate Secretary and Associate General Counsel of Wyeth/Pfizer and a partner at Drinker Biddle & Reath. Ms. Lach has provided pro-bono legal counsel to Amnesty International and was the first woman ever nominated for a Rhodes Scholarship.

Robert Ruffolo, PhD

Dr. Ruffolo has pioneered treatments for congestive heart failure, hypertension, Parkinson's Disease, and others. After working as a fellow at the National Institutes of Health, he went on to become the President of Research & Development at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Ruffolo has authored nearly 500 publications and won numerous prestigious awards including Chief Scientific Officer of the Year (2004) and the George B. Koelle Award for Scientific Excellence (2005).

Lindsay Ryan, MD

A recent graduate of Harvard Medical School, Ms. Ryan currently works in South Africa, focusing on health systems strengthening and infectious disease. As a former labor organizer, Ms. Ryan has worked on community health programs for socially marginalized groups in both the US and Africa.

MALI ADVISORY BOARD

Our Mali Advisory Board, composed of local officials, public health luminaries and organizational partners in Mali, provides support and feedback for our programs and projects.

Ben Aboubacar, MD, Millennium Villages Project
As the Director of Health Programs for the Millennium Development Goals in Central and Western Africa, Dr. Aboubacar works with MHOP to develop our health financing system and expand access to primary health care.

Siriki Coulibaly, Sikoro Mayor's Office

A member of the local mayor's office, Mr. Coulibaly is one of MHOP's chief advisers. He has hosted MHOP Coordinators in his home in the past, and was one of our first community supporters.

Yaye Danfakha, MD, CREDOS

Dr. Danfakha is currently working with a UNICEF-partner program to evaluate the effectiveness of an in-home health care program for childhood respiratory infections. She is married to Lanceni Balla Keita, a deputy in the National Assembly (Congress).

Abdoul Diallo, West African Water Initiative

Mr. Diallo is currently the head of the West African Water Initiative for USAID. He formerly taught at the School for International Training. Mr. Diallo splits his time between Mali and the United States.

Danzeni Kone, FENASCOM

Mr. Kone is the head of the FENASCOM (National Association of Community Clinics) for our district, and is an incredible partner in helping MHOP develop best practices and share our innovations with clinics all over Mali.

Mamadou Niare, Sikoro Village Chief

Mr. Niare is Sikoro's traditional leader, supervising activities in both Sikoro and Sourakabougou. He is also a member of the Bamako committee of traditional chiefs.

Saloum Soumare, Program in Shared Governance

Mr. Soumare has worked with the USAID Program in Shared Governance (PGP) in Bamako for years, and is an expert in creating community/government accountability in Bamako. He has also worked with the Peace Corps as a language teacher.

Mary Magdalene Togo, MD, Ministry of Health

Dr. Togo was the first female Chief of Medicine for a national hospital in Mali. She is currently a counselor to the  Minister of Health in Mali, and is an exceptional resource about developing primary care systems.