Seth Berkley
Encyclopedia
Seth Franklin Berkley, M.D. (born in 1956 in New York
, NY) is a medical epidemiologist by training. He is the CEO of the GAVI Alliance and a global advocate on the power of vaccines. He is also the founder and former President
and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
(IAVI).. Graduated McBurney School
, New York, 1974, he received a Bachelor of Science
and medical degrees from Brown University
, and trained in internal medicine at Harvard University
. Berkley has been featured on the cover of Newsweek and recognized by Wired Magazine as among "The Wired 25" - a salute to dreamers, inventors, mavericks and leaders - as well as by TIME magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2009. In 2010, Fortune magazine named Berkley as one of its "Global Forum Visionaries." Speaking at the TED 2010 conference, Dr. Berkley explains how innovative vaccine design and production technologies are bringing us closer to controlling global health threats like flu and HIV.
(CDC) in Atlanta, GA. While working for the CDC
, Berkley was involved in, among other things, managing the national Toxic Shock Syndrome
surveillance system. He also conducted an investigation of an outbreak of Brazilian Purpuric Fever
, a disease that was killing children in Brazil
, and helped to discover the etiologic agent. In 1986, on assignment from the CDC, Berkley served as an epidemiologist for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
, working on routine surveillance and outbreak investigations.
A year later, while working for the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, Berkley was assigned as an epidemiologist at the Ministry of Health in Uganda
. In this role, he worked to establish and manage the Ugandan surveillance system for AIDS, validate the AIDS clinical case definition for Africa
and assist with the conduct and analysis of the national HIV
sero-survey. Berkley played a role in helping to develop Uganda’s National AIDS Control programs, and served as an attending internal medicine physician
at Mulago Hospital
in Kampala
.
Subsequently, Berkley worked for the Rockefeller Foundation
, initially as Program Scientist and finally as Associate Director of the Health Sciences Division. During his eight years with the Rockefeller Foundation
, Berkley managed programs in epidemiology
, public health
, medical and nursing education, vaccination
, AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive health
in Africa
, Asia
, and Latin America
. Some of his initiatives included developing a public health training program, Public Health School without Walls, which began in Zimbabwe
, Ghana
, Uganda, and then spread to Vietnam
, as well as an international program to support non-governmental organizations working on AIDS, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance
.
(CEO) in August 2011. The GAVI Alliance is a public-private partnership whose mission is to save children’s lives and protect people’s health by increasing access to immunisation in developing countries.
Since its launch in 2000, GAVI has prevented more than five million future deaths and helped protect 288 million children with new and underused vaccines. Under Berkley’s leadership, the Alliance plans to deliver vaccines to another quarter of a billion children and prevent four million more deaths by 2015.
The GAVI Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization
, UNICEF, the World Bank
, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society organizations, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
and other private philanthropists.
, Italy
, became the impetus for the establishment of IAVI in 1996 as an international NGO tasked with aggressively pursuing previously neglected approaches to AIDS vaccine development. Berkley was appointed interim President and later became CEO.
Under Berkley’s leadership, the organization evolved into a worldwide public-private product development partnership with a staff of more than 200 employees that has worked with partners in 25 countries and, with partners, conducted 24 HIV vaccine trials.
, the New York Academy of Sciences
, and the Acumen Fund
, and is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations. Berkley is a member of the Scientific Advisory Panel assisting the UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention.
Berkley formerly served on the boards of Oxfam America, the Guttmacher Institute
, Village Reach, VaxInnate, Powderject and Napo pharmaceuticals.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, NY) is a medical epidemiologist by training. He is the CEO of the GAVI Alliance and a global advocate on the power of vaccines. He is also the founder and former President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative is a global not-for-profit, public-private partnership working to accelerate the development of vaccines to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. IAVI researches and develops vaccine candidates, conducts policy analyses, serves as an advocate for the field and...
(IAVI).. Graduated McBurney School
McBurney School
McBurney School was a college preparatory school in Manhattan run by the YMCA of Greater New York. Among its alumni are actors Henry Winkler and Richard Thomas , novelist J. D...
, New York, 1974, he received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
and medical degrees from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, and trained in internal medicine at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Berkley has been featured on the cover of Newsweek and recognized by Wired Magazine as among "The Wired 25" - a salute to dreamers, inventors, mavericks and leaders - as well as by TIME magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2009. In 2010, Fortune magazine named Berkley as one of its "Global Forum Visionaries." Speaking at the TED 2010 conference, Dr. Berkley explains how innovative vaccine design and production technologies are bringing us closer to controlling global health threats like flu and HIV.
Early career
From 1984 to 1986, Berkley worked as a medical epidemiologist for the Center for Infectious Diseases of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
(CDC) in Atlanta, GA. While working for the CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
, Berkley was involved in, among other things, managing the national Toxic Shock Syndrome
Toxic shock syndrome
Toxic shock syndrome is a potentially fatal illness caused by a bacterial toxin. Different bacterial toxins may cause toxic shock syndrome, depending on the situation. The causative bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes...
surveillance system. He also conducted an investigation of an outbreak of Brazilian Purpuric Fever
Brazilian purpuric fever
Brazilian purpuric fever is an illness of children caused by the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius which is ultimately fatal due to sepsis. BPF was first recognized in the Sao Paulo state of Brazil in 1984...
, a disease that was killing children in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and helped to discover the etiologic agent. In 1986, on assignment from the CDC, Berkley served as an epidemiologist for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is a governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with various responsibilities related to public health within that state...
, working on routine surveillance and outbreak investigations.
A year later, while working for the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, Berkley was assigned as an epidemiologist at the Ministry of Health in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. In this role, he worked to establish and manage the Ugandan surveillance system for AIDS, validate the AIDS clinical case definition for Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and assist with the conduct and analysis of the national HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
sero-survey. Berkley played a role in helping to develop Uganda’s National AIDS Control programs, and served as an attending internal medicine physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
at Mulago Hospital
Mulago Hospital
Mulago National Referral Hospital, commonly known as Mulago Hospital, is the largest hospital in Uganda. The hospital is located on Mulago Hill in the northern part of the city of Kampala. It is the teaching hospital for Makerere University College of Health Sciences, the oldest medical College in...
in Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
.
Subsequently, Berkley worked for the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, initially as Program Scientist and finally as Associate Director of the Health Sciences Division. During his eight years with the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, Berkley managed programs in epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
, public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
, medical and nursing education, vaccination
Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
, AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive health
Reproductive health
Within the framework of the World Health Organization's definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, reproductive health, or sexual health/hygiene, addresses the reproductive processes, functions and system...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. Some of his initiatives included developing a public health training program, Public Health School without Walls, which began in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Uganda, and then spread to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, as well as an international program to support non-governmental organizations working on AIDS, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
The International HIV/AIDS Alliance is a global partnership of nationally-based organizations which support community organizations which promote HIV and AIDS issues in developing countries.-History:...
.
GAVI Alliance
Berkley joined the GAVI Alliance as its Chief Executive OfficerChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
(CEO) in August 2011. The GAVI Alliance is a public-private partnership whose mission is to save children’s lives and protect people’s health by increasing access to immunisation in developing countries.
Since its launch in 2000, GAVI has prevented more than five million future deaths and helped protect 288 million children with new and underused vaccines. Under Berkley’s leadership, the Alliance plans to deliver vaccines to another quarter of a billion children and prevent four million more deaths by 2015.
The GAVI Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
, UNICEF, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society organizations, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
and other private philanthropists.
The IAVI Years
In 1994, the Rockefeller Foundation, where Berkley was serving as Associate Director of Health Sciences, convened a series of international consensus meetings on the need for a new effort to address existing barriers to the development of an AIDS vaccine and jump-start AIDS vaccine research. These meetings, culminating in a conference in BellagioBellagio
Bellagio is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located on Lake Como. It has long been famous for its setting at the intersection of the three branches of the Y-shaped lake, which is also known as Lario....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, became the impetus for the establishment of IAVI in 1996 as an international NGO tasked with aggressively pursuing previously neglected approaches to AIDS vaccine development. Berkley was appointed interim President and later became CEO.
Under Berkley’s leadership, the organization evolved into a worldwide public-private product development partnership with a staff of more than 200 employees that has worked with partners in 25 countries and, with partners, conducted 24 HIV vaccine trials.
Professional Affiliations
Berkley sits on a number of international steering committees and corporate and not-for-profit boards, including those of Gilead SciencesGilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes therapeutics. For many years since the company was founded, the company concentrated primarily on antiviral drugs to treat patients infected with HIV, hepatitis B or influenza. In 2006, Gilead acquired two...
, the New York Academy of Sciences
New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is the third oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, non-profit organization with more than members in 140 countries, the Academy’s mission is to advance understanding of science and technology...
, and the Acumen Fund
Acumen Fund
Acumen Fund is a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty. Its aim is to help build financially sustainable and scalable organizations that deliver affordable critical goods and services that improve the lives of the poor...
, and is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations. Berkley is a member of the Scientific Advisory Panel assisting the UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention.
- Fellow, American College of PhysiciansAmerican College of PhysiciansThe American College of Physicians is a national organization of doctors of internal medicine —physicians who specialize in the prevention, detection, and treatment of illnesses in adults. With 130,000 members, ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization and second-largest physician group in...
- Fellow, Council on Foreign RelationsCouncil on Foreign RelationsThe Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
- Fellow, Infectious Diseases Society of AmericaInfectious Diseases Society of AmericaThe Infectious Diseases Society of America is a medical association representing physicians, scientists and other health care professionals who specialize in infectious diseases. As of 2010, IDSA had approximately 9,000 members...
- Fellow, Massachusetts Medical SocietyMassachusetts Medical SocietyThe Massachusetts Medical Society is the oldest continuously-operating state medical society in the United States. Incorporated on November 1, 1781, by an act of the Massachusetts General Court, the MMS is a non-profit organization that consists of approximately 22,000 physicians, medical students...
- Founding Member, The Network of AIDS Researchers of Eastern and Southern Africa
Berkley formerly served on the boards of Oxfam America, the Guttmacher Institute
Guttmacher Institute
The Guttmacher Institute is a non-profit organization which works to advance sexual and reproductive health. The institute operates in the United States and globally "through an interrelated program of social science research, policy analysis and public education." According to their mission...
, Village Reach, VaxInnate, Powderject and Napo pharmaceuticals.
Academic Appointments
- Adjunct Professor, Brown University School of Medicine
- Adjunct Professor, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
- Adjunct Professor, New York University School of Medicine
Books
- Jamison DT, Bobadilla JL, Hecht R, Hill K, Musgrove P, Saxenian H, Tan JP, Berkley S, Murray C. Investing in Health: The 1993 World Development Report, Oxford University Press 1993.
- Armstrong D, Cohen J, Berkley S, Carbon CJ, Clumeck N, Durack DT, Finch RG, Kiehn TE, Louria DB, McAdam K, Norrby SR, Opal SM, Polsky BW, Quie PG, Ronald AR, Solberg CO, Verhoef J, eds. Infectious Diseases. Mosby, London, 1999.
- Cohen J, Powderly WG, Berkley S, Calandra T, Clumeck N, Finch RG, Hammer SM, Holland SM, Kiehn TE, Maki DG, McAdam K, Norrby SR, Opal SM, Ronald AR, Solberg CO, Verhoef J, eds. Infectious Diseases, Second Edition. Mosby, London, 2004.
Scientific Articles
- Berkley SF, Hightower AH, Broome CV, Reingold AL. The relationship of tampon characteristics to menstrual toxic shock syndrome. JAMA 1987; 258:917-920.
- The Brazilian Purpuric Fever Study Group (report written by Fleming DW and Berkley SF). Brazilian Purpuric Fever: Epidemic purpura fulminans associated with antecedent purulent conjunctivitis. Lancet 1987; 8562:757-761.
- The Brazilian Purpuric Fever Study Group (report written by Berkley SF and Harrison L). Haemophilus aegyptius bacteremia in Brazilian Purpuric Fever. Lancet 1987;8562:761-763.
- Berkley SF, Widy-Wirski R, Okware SI, Downing R, Linnan MJ, White KE, Sempala S. Risk factors associated with HIV infection in Uganda. J Infec Dis 1989; 160:22-30.
- Berkley SF, Naamara W, Okware SI, Downing R, Konde-lule J, Wawer M, Musagaara M, Musgrave S. AIDS and HIV Infection in women in Uganda—are women more infected than males. AIDS 1990; 4:1237-1242.
- Heeler C, Berkley SF. Initial lessons from emerging public-private partnerships in drug and vaccine development. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2001, 79:728-734.
- Klausner RD, Fauci AS, Corey L, Nabel GJ, Gayle H, Berkley S, et al. The Need for a Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise. Science, Jun 27 2003: 2036-2039.
- Berkley SF. Thorny issues in the ethics of AIDS vaccine trials. The Lancet, 2003; 362: 992.
- Berkley SF. Ending an Epidemic: The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative pioneers a public-private partnership. Innovations, 2006; 1:52-66.
- Berkley SF, Koff WC. Scientific and policy challenges to development of an AIDS vaccine. The Lancet, 2007; 370: 94-101.
Further reading
- “Where Is The HIV Vaccine?”, New York Times, July 2010
- “The Renaissance in HIV Vaccine Development – Future Directions”, New England Journal of Medicine, July 2010
- “HIV and flu - the vaccine strategy.” Q&A with Seth Berkley on TED.com
- “Have Faith in an AIDS Vaccine”, New York Times, October 2009
- Seth Berkley on Huffington Post
- “A Shot at Stopping AIDS”, Washington Post, December 2007
- “Seth Berkley: A Warrior in the AIDS Battle”, BusinessWeek, November 2004
- “15 Minutes with Seth Berkley”, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Winter 2004