Thakur Named as New Director of Global Health Initiative

Siddhartha “Sid” Thakur has been appointed as the new director of the Global Health Initiative, a unit of the Office of Global Engagement. The Global Health Initiative promotes university-wide interdisciplinary approaches to address issues related to health and well-being in North Carolina and around the world.

The special dual position, held in conjunction with Thakur’s leadership as director of global health within the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), provides the opportunity for the NC State community to engage in research and outreach activities that improve the well-being of both people and animals.

“The Global Health Initiative is an essential part of our mission to enhance global engagement opportunities here at NC State, and Dr. Thakur’s exceptional experience in global health issues is to the benefit of the initiative and our campus community,” said Bailian Li, senior vice provost for global engagement.

Thakur is an associate professor of molecular epidemiology in the CVM’s Department of Population Health and Pathobiology and associate director of the Emerging and Infectious Disease Program at the Comparative Medicine Institute. He has long been devoted to work centered on global health challenges, particularly through his antimicrobial resistance research.

“I am very excited to take over as the director of the Global Health Initiative. I look forward to working with Dr. Bailian Li and the Office of Global Engagement to foster new opportunities in the global health arena for our faculty and students.”

In May, Thakur was named director of global health within the CVM as part of the development of a formal global health program to address such issues as animal welfare, food security, infectious disease and sustainability. In addition to his leadership positions in within global health, Thakur is the newly appointed vice chair of the Committee on International Programs.

In an effort to provide education and research opportunities to NC State students and faculty, the Global Health Initiative focused on building partnerships with the global health community this past year. These initiatives include increasing student sponsorship to attend the Triangle Global Health Consortium annual conference held at NC State, launching a new mentorship cohort program, expanding global health academic programs, and facilitating the first Global Health Film series event.

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