2025 Annual Conference Keynote Speakers

Michelle A. Williams, ScD

Dr. Michelle A. Williams stands as one of the most influential epidemiologists of her generation, combining rigorous scientific research with transformative academic leadership to advance global public health. Currently serving as Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University's School of Medicine, she brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective shaped by her background in biology, engineering, and epidemiology.

Dr. Williams' distinguished career includes her tenure as Dean of the Faculty at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she provided strategic leadership for one of the leading schools of public health. Prior to this role, she served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard Chan School and led the Population Health and Health Disparities Research Programs at Harvard's Clinical and Translational Sciences Center. Her earlier academic foundation was established during her distinguished career at the University of Washington School of Public Health.

Her research portfolio, encompassing more than 560 scientific publications, focuses on reproductive, perinatal, pediatric, and molecular epidemiology with particular emphasis on addressing health disparities. This work has positioned her as a leading voice in understanding how social determinants and biological factors intersect to influence population health outcomes.

Dr. Williams' contributions to science and education have earned her election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2016, marking her as one of the most respected voices in her field. Her commitment to mentoring the next generation of public health leaders has been recognized through numerous prestigious awards, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from the White House in 2012, Harvard Chan School's Outstanding Mentor Award in 2015, and the University of Washington's Brotman Award for excellence in teaching in 2007. The American Public Health Association honored her educational impact with the Abraham Lilienfeld Award for education in epidemiology in 2007.

Her influence extends beyond academic circles, as evidenced by her recognition with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2020 and her inclusion among PR Week's top 50 health influencers that same year. These honors reflect her ability to translate complex epidemiological research into actionable insights that inform public policy and practice.

Dr. Williams maintains active membership in several prestigious professional organizations, including the National Academy of Medicine, the Society for Epidemiologic Research, and the American Epidemiological Society. Her academic credentials include an undergraduate degree in biology and genetics from Princeton University, a master's degree in civil engineering from Tufts University, and both master's and doctoral degrees in epidemiology from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD

Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD, is the Chair of the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard School of Public Health. She practices Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology in children and adults. She has published over 400+ papers, many in the field of air pollution exposures, allergies and asthma. For more than 30 years, she has devoted herself to understanding how environmental and epigenetic factors affect the risk of developing immune dysfunction. Her laboratory has been studying exposomics and solutions-facing research with policy-oriented outcomes.  She works with the WHO and UN on several projects in global health. Dr. Nadeau earned her MD/PhD from Harvard Medical School in 1995, completing her doctoral work in biochemistry and immunology, followed by a pediatric residency, and fellowship in Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Program, joined the Stanford faculty where she was the Naddisy Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics until 2022, and then joined Harvard where she is now the John Rock Professor. 

Dr. Alonzo L. Plough

Alonzo Plough joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as chief science officer and vice president, Research-Evaluation-Learning in January 2014. He is responsible for aligning all of the Foundation’s work with the best evidence from research and practice and incorporating program evaluations into organizational learning. He also oversees the two grantmaking portfolios focused on innovation and emerging issues: Ideas for an Equitable Future and Global Ideas for U.S. solutions.

Plough has been a national leader in public health practice for over 25 years. He came to the Foundation from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, where he served as director of emergency preparedness and response from 2009–2013. In that role, he was responsible for the leadership and management of activities protecting the 10 million residents of Los Angeles County from natural disasters and threats related to disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies. He coordinated activities in emergency operations, infectious disease control, risk communication, planning, and community engagement.

Prior to this position, Plough served as vice president of strategy, planning and evaluation for The California Endowment from 2005–2009. Before this, he served 10 years as director and health officer for the Seattle and King County Department of Public Health and previously served as director of public health in Boston for eight years.

Plough earned his PhD and MA at Cornell University, and his MPH at Yale University School of Medicine’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. He has held academic appointments at Harvard University School of Public Health, Tufts University Department of Community Medicine, and Boston University School of Management. He is currently clinical professor of health services at the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle. He has been the recipient of numerous awards for public service and leadership and is the author of an extensive body of scholarly articles, books, and book chapters.

Plough lives in Princeton and Los Angeles and is married with two adult sons and two granddaughters. He is a jazz guitarist and vocalist. 

Tom Frieden, MD, MPH
Dr. Frieden has led and succeeded in the fight against health threats in the United States and around the world. He is a physician trained in internal medicine, infectious diseases, public health, and epidemiology, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and former commissioner of the New York City Health Department. Dr. Frieden is currently President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives.

Dr. Frieden began his public health career in New York City leading efforts to document and end the largest outbreak of multidrug resistant tuberculosis ever to occur in the United States. He then worked in India supporting the government to scale up a program for effective tuberculosis diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring that saved millions of lives. Asked to return to New York City to become Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s Health Commissioner, he directed efforts that reduced smoking and other leading causes of death and increased life expectancy by 3 years. As Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Frieden helped end the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic and oversaw the agency’s responses to H1N1 influenza, Zika, and more.

Dr. Frieden founded Resolve to Save Lives in 2017 to partner with countries to address the world’s deadliest health threats, including cardiovascular disease and epidemics. In the organization’s first 8 years, these efforts have supported actions that will prevent 9 million deaths. RTSL has partnered with more than 50 countries, primarily in Africa, to find infectious disease threats faster and stop them sooner. RTSL joined with the World Health Organization to call for the global elimination of artificial trans fat. More than 50 countries, accounting for more than half of the global population and nearly two thirds of the estimated global consumption of trans fat, have now taken action to become trans fat free. RTSL has also worked with more than 30 countries to improve diagnosis, treatment, and management of more than 40 million patients with high blood pressure, which is the world’s leading single cause of death. 

Dr. Frieden has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees by New York University, Tufts University, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Oglethorpe University, and Oberlin College. He has received dozens of prestigious awards including the Julius B. Richmond Award from Harvard University, Time Magazine 100 most influential people, New York 1’s New Yorker of the Year, and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. Since 2017, he has served as a member of the Independent Monitoring Board for global polio eradication. 

Dr. Frieden has written more than 300 scientific articles and more than 100 essays. He appears frequently on television and radio and in print media to identify risks and solutions to emerging health threats, assess progress with the control of disease, and provide leadership on a range of health, health care, and public health topics.

His book, The Formula for Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives—Including Your Own, will be released on September 30, 2025 (MIT Press). The book distills four decades of public health leadership into a clear, actionable framework. It includes a playbook for societal health progress and hype-free advice on personal health. Proceeds will go to organizations Resolve to Save Lives supports to work for health progress around the world.