Through his initiation of the Fogarty Program, UCLA dean emeritus Dr. Roger Detels has helped develop public health systems in Southeast Asia, most notably through the furthering of HIV prevention and treatment systems for many countries in the region.
6/1/2023 12:00:00 AM § Alisa Egecioglu, Global Data Coordinator
Prior to the 1980s, research in public health — particularly surrounding STIs such as HIV — was quite limited in Southeast Asia. During the late 1980s, the Fogarty Program would emerge as a significant contributor to the realization of this interest. Founded by UCLA dean emeritus Dr. Roger Detels, the program provided PhD-level training to students from around the globe, preparing them to be leaders in public health and medicine. Several graduates held key positions after completing the program. The Minister of Health for Taiwan, the dean of the Fudan University School of Public Health, and the director of the AIDS program for the World Health Organization were a few Dr. Detels mentored while involved. Graduates have had a notable impact on medical research in Southeast Asia. Many established public health institutions or worked to improve HIV detection and treatment methods where these systems were otherwise underdeveloped or unregulated. The activity of Fogarty Program graduates in Southeastern Asia has also allowed UCLA professors to continue to develop extensive research programs in the region, strengthening the collaborative HIV research community.