Foundation Staff
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Senior Leadership Team
Charles Lyons
President and Chief Executive Officer
Photo: Benjamin Myers |
President and Chief Executive Officer Charles Lyons joined the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation in January 2010 after many years managing and developing programs for leading global nonprofits. With a professional emphasis on children’s welfare, HIV/AIDS, and global development, Charles brings to the Foundation a commitment to support those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. In his role as President and CEO, Charles is responsible for the strategic, programmatic, fundraising, financial, and management operations of the organization.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Charles was Director of Special Initiatives in the Global Development Program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led a team dedicated to global poverty reduction. Prior to his work at the Gates Foundation, Charles spent more than 20 years in increasingly prominent roles with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to include program officer, UNICEF Mozambique; chief of staff to the executive director at UNICEF headquarters; and president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. A longtime advocate for global health, Charles is a member of the Human Rights Watch Health and Human Rights Advisory Committee and worked from its inception to develop the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), serving on the Board of the GAVI Fund and chairing its executive committee from 2004 to 2006.
Charles studied political economy at the New School for Social Research in New York and has a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College in Minnesota.
Alan Greenberg, M.D., M.P.H.
Senior Technical Advisor to the CEO
Dr. Alan Greenberg is principal investigator of the George Washington University–Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Partnership for Pediatric AIDS. Dr. Greenberg serves as senior technical advisor to the Foundation’s President and CEO. In addition, Dr. Greenberg holds several professorships within the George Washington School for Public Health and Health Services. Prior to joining George Washington, he spent two decades at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he provided scientific leadership for its domestic and international HIV epidemiologic research program. Dr. Greenberg earned his medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine in 1982 and his masters in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health in 1999.
Cathy Wilfert, M.D.
Scientific Director Emerita
Dr. Cathy Wilfert spearheads the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation’s PMTCT programs, and has been instrumental in encouraging other scientists throughout the world to focus their investigations on pediatric HIV/AIDS. A faculty member at Duke University Medical Center for 38 years, her national leadership roles have included chairmanship of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control, membership in the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the presidency of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, editorial boards of eight professional journals, plus numerous awards and special recognitions, including the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) Leadership Award.
Nicholas Hellmann, M.D.
Executive Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs
Executive Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs Dr. Nicholas Hellmann is responsible for providing strategic direction for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation’s programs and research initiatives, ensuring that children are at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Hellmann played key leadership roles, primarily focused on HIV/AIDS, at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ViroLogic, Inc., Gilead Sciences, Roche Molecular Systems, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute. He received his M.D. from the University of Kentucky and served as an assistant professor in the Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases Division at the University of California, San Francisco.
Carlos Carrazana, M.B.A., M.P.H.
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Operating Officer Carlos Carrazana has over 20 years of experience working with government agencies, foundations, civil society, and commercial firms to design and implement programs to improve health care services in vulnerable and underserved populations around the world. Carrazana came to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation in April 2008 from business research and consulting firm Abt Associates, where he served five years as vice president of health services and private sector alliances for Abt’s international division. Prior to his tenure at Abt, Carrazana served at Deloitte Touche Tohamatsu’s emerging markets division as director of the Summa Foundation, where his primary focus was establishing and enhancing the organization’s infrastructure.
Maurice Adams, Ph.D.
Vice President, Africa Country Management
Dr. Maurice Adams‘s tenure with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation spans seven years, including roles as Country Director for Zimbabwe and his current position at Vice President for Africa Country Management. Based in Africa, Dr. Adams oversees the management of our Africa country programs by providing ongoing support, mentoring, and leadership development for Country Directors. Dr. Adams brings to the Foundation over two decades of experience in international development, including more than 15 years working in eastern and southern Africa. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Adams served in Uganda as Chief of Party and Program Director for John Snow, Inc. (JSI), where he led a large, integrated HIV/AIDS project funded by USAID and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Adams also worked for over four years on development and HIV/AIDS projects in Zimbabwe, first as Program Director with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) and then as Consultant and Program Officer with UNICEF-Zimbabwe. Before working in Zimbabwe, Dr. Adams was based in the U.K., where he filled senior roles at several public health organizations, including Director of Potential Worldwide Consultancy and Executive Director of AIDS Care, Education and Training (ACET) International. Dr. Adams received his Ph.D. in Management from St. George’s College, London, and InterAmerican University, New York, and his Master of Arts in Voluntary Sector Management from the University of East London and London School of Economics.
Anja Giphart, M.D., M.P.H.
Vice President of Program Implementation
Dr. Anja Giphart is the Vice President of Program Implementation at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. In her role Dr. Giphart is responsible for managing the implementation and success of programmatic operations in the 17 countries where the Foundation works. Dr. Giphart oversees the technical aspects of the Foundation’s in-country work, including monitoring and evaluation activities, quality assurance, country support, and technical assistance. Previous to her role supporting global program implementation, Dr. Giphart worked for the Foundation in Tanzania, first as the organization’s in-country technical director, and later as the country director for the Foundation’s activities in Tanzania. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Giphart worked as an international health specialist for Macro International, and held positions in Zambia and Mozambique providing and supervising clinic services at area hospitals. Dr. Giphart received her degree in medicine from Erasmus University, and her master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
RJ Simonds, M.D.
Vice President of Program Innovation and Policy
Dr. RJ Simonds is the Vice President of Program Innovation and Policy at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. He oversees the development and execution of new technologies and innovative approaches to optimize program effectiveness, as well as the documentation and dissemination of technical program policies, standards, and best practices. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Simonds spent 20 years as a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its domestic and global AIDS programs, with a special focus on HIV prevention, care, and treatment of children. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for CDC's Global AIDS Program and as a Deputy Principal for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and assisted with the early development of the Global Health Initiative in 2009. Dr. Simonds received a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of California at Berkeley, earned a medical degree from the University of Hawaii, completed a pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and trained in CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service.
Laura Guay, M.D.
Vice President of Research
Dr. Laura Guay serves a dual appointment as vice president for research at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and research professor at The George Washington University (GWU) School of Public Health and Health Services. Dr. Guay received her M.D. from GWU in 1985, and went on to a pediatrics residency at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Guay was a visiting lecturer at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, from 1988 to 1991, and then returned to CWRU to complete her fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases. She then spent seven more years in Uganda, where she worked on the landmark HIVNET 012 trial, which determined the effectiveness of single-dose nevirapine in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Prior to joining GWU, Dr. Guay was a member of the faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Most recently, her research has focused on reducing the rate of HIV transmission in breast-feeding infants and on the testing of an HIV vaccine in infants.
Trish Devine Karlin
Vice President, Global Business Planning
Vice President of Programs Trish Karlin is responsible for program operations and planning; program and resource management; and program design, strategy, reporting, outcomes, and communications at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. During her 15-year tenure at the Foundation, she has helped the Foundation to establish several notable current programs. Before joining the Foundation, Karlin worked for the California State Controller’s Office and served as Executive Director of the John M. Lloyd Foundation, where she is currently a board member.
Richard Marlink, M.D.
Senior Advisor for Medical and Scientific Affairs
Dr. Richard Marlink oversees the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation’s efforts to expand global HIV/AIDS care and treatment services, including antiretroviral treatment. Currently a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Marlink was part of the team that initially identified HIV-2, the second AIDS virus, and he helped coordinate research concerning the clinical and biologic characteristics of both HIV-1 and HIV-2. In addition to a number of Botswana clinical studies in which he participates, Dr. Marlink is the principal investigator of Botswana's first large-scale antiretroviral treatment study.
Elizabeth Penniman
Vice President, Public Policy, Advocacy, and Communications
Vice President for Public Policy, Advocacy, and Communications at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Elizabeth Penniman has spent more than 20 years in senior communications and policy positions for corporations, government, and non-profit organizations. She has worked in the fields of domestic and international politics and policy, including positions at the White House, the National Security Council, the State Department, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She served as Director of Communications for the U.S. Surgeon General, as Director of Publications for Government Affairs at the American Medical Association, and most recently, as a senior communications consultant with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Penniman has received numerous commendations for her work in public health and civil service.
Tami Ward-Dahl
Vice President, Human Resources and Administration
Vice President of Human Resources and Administration Tami L. Ward-Dahl is responsible for developing and managing the overall strategic human resource systems, practices, and approaches to support the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation’s organizational growth and development. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ward-Dahl held executive positions at Ruesch International, IOMEGA Corporation, and OTC Division. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, a Global Professional in Human Resources, and a Certified Compensation Professional.
Additional Foundation Experts
Stephen Lee, M.D.
Senior Program Director, Prevention, Care and Treatment Services
Dr. Stephen Lee is the Senior Program Director, Prevention, Care and Treatment Services, at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Dr. Lee is responsible for Foundation program development and evaluation, managing the development and implementation of programs that provide prevention, care, and treatment services to individuals affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. Dr. Lee’s areas of expertise are HIV care, treatment, and support; antiretroviral therapy; integration and linkage of health services; and community mobilization and involvement. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Lee acted as Senior Advisor for HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment, in the Bureau of Global Health at USAID. There he supported HIV/AIDS care and treatment program development, evaluated existing HIV/AIDS programs and policies, and analyzed HIV/AIDS research. Additionally, Dr. Lee worked as an HIV/AIDS Infectious Disease Advisor for USAID, focusing on disease prevention and monitoring throughout Europe and Eurasia. He has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Baylor University, a degree in medicine from Emory University School of Medicine, and a post graduate diploma in health systems management from the University of London, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Christian Pitter, M.D., M.P.H.
Director, Global Technical Policy Unit
Dr. Christian Pitter is a pediatrician and director of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation’s Global Technical Policy Unit, responsible for the development, dissemination, and implementation of global technical policies and standards. Dr. Pitter also serves as an assistant adjunct professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Pitter served as the principal advisor for antiretroviral treatment programs for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Global AIDS Program in Uganda. He has also served as an advisor to the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and other organizations. Dr. Pitter completed his undergraduate education at Yale University, earned his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine, and received his master's in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Jeffrey T. Safrit, Ph.D
Director, Clinical and Basic Research
Jeffrey T. Safrit, Ph.D., is the Director of Clinical and Basic Research for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Involved in HIV/AIDS research since 1991, Dr. Safrit worked with the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Bristol Meyers Squibb, and Emory University, prior to joining the Foundation in 2001. Throughout his tenure with the Foundation, Dr. Safrit has held many posts in the HIV/AIDS research community including Advisor to the Office of AIDS Research on HIV vaccine research priorities; Expert Advisor to the Pediatric, Adolescent, and Maternal AIDS Branch of the NICHD; and member of the organizing or scientific committees for the annual AIDS Vaccine Conferences. Dr. Safrit received his Ph.D. in immunology from University of California, Los Angeles, and has authored more than 35 publications in HIV immunology and pediatric vaccine issues.