The Second Lecture in This Series Features NICHD Grantee Dr. Esther Duflo
Featured Speaker
Esther Duflo, Ph.D.
NICHD Director Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., started the Director's Lecture Series in 2010 to highlight innovative research related to the Institute's mission and to provide Institute staff and trainees with an opportunity to interact with nationally recognized scientists and experts outside of the NIH. The second lecture in the Series focuses on global health and some of its challenges, and will be delivered by NICHD grantee Esther Duflo, Ph.D. Dr. Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and director of the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), a research network specializing in randomized evaluations of social programs.
Dr. Duflo reports that, around the world, more than nine million children younger than age five die each year from preventable diseases or conditions, such as malaria, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infections. Dr. Duflo will discuss how inexpensive, safe, and accessible therapies—what she calls "low-hanging fruit"—for these conditions are not being used to prevent illness and death in many resource-poor countries. She will describe barriers to their use, and argue that understanding these barriers is an important step in overcoming them.
Dr. Duflo has received significant recognition for her work on global poverty. In 2010, she received the John Bates Clark Medal as the most promising U.S. economist younger than age 40 for her research in development economics, politics, gender, and education in developing countries. In addition, she received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, or "genius" award, in 2009. She is also co-author of the forthcoming book Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty.
Specifics of the event are as follows:
What: NICHD Director's Lecture Series: "Low-Hanging Fruit for Better Global Health? Evidence from the Field"
When: Tuesday, April 26, 2011, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Where: Lipsett Auditorium, Building 10, NIH Main Campus
The NICHD Director's Lecture Series is open to the public, and registration is not required. Non-NIH employees should visit http://www.nih.gov/about/visitor/index.htm for details about getting to the NIH campus and security procedures.
Individuals with disabilities who need sign language interpreters and/or reasonable accommodations to participate should contact Tiffany Ray (tiffany.ray@mail.nih.gov or 301-594-1968). Please make your requests at least five days in advance of the event.
For additional information, select one of the links below:
- Biographical information for Dr. Duflo
(MIT Web Site) - Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab: Esther Duflo
- Selected NICHD Research on Global Health
- Endocrinology, Nutrition, and Growth (ENG) Branch, Report to the NACHHD Council, June 2009: Nutrition and Global Health (PDF - 762 KB)
- DBS Branch, Report to the NACHHD Council, September 2007: Social and Cultural Processes Frame HIV Risk and Prevention in Africa (PDF - 711 KB)
- Pediatric, Adolescent, and Maternal AIDS Branch, Report to the NACHHD Council, June 2007 (PDF - 520 KB)
- NICHD Office of Global Health Research and International Activities
- Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research
- NICHD DBS Branch Item: DBS Branch Grantee Wins John Bates Clark Medal
- NICHD News Releases on Global Health
Originally posted: April 25, 2011
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