Russia is home to one of Europe’s largest and fastest growing HIV/AIDS infected populations. As of 2016, more than 1 million people are registered on the country’s official HIV-positive list. What factors led to Russia’s AIDS epidemic, and will it continue to grow? How have policymakers responded to the crisis? And what do these responses say about Russia’s current political, social, and economic environment?
As the world’s public health leaders prepare to meet in South Africa for the AIDS 2016 summit, the Center on Global Interests is pleased to invite you to this timely discussion with Robert Heimer, Professor of Epidemiology and Pharmacology at the Yale School of Public Health and Olga Levina, Development Director at Stellit, a St. Petersburg-based public health NGO. Judyth Twigg, Professor of Political Science and senior fellow (non-resident) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies will moderate the conversation.
A Q&A with the audience and light lunch will follow. This event is on the record.
Speakers:
Robert Heimer is professor of epidemiology and pharmacology at the Yale School of Public Health, where he is also the Director of the Emerging Infections Program. Dr. Heimer's research combines laboratory, operational, behavioral, and structural analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programs in preventing the negative medical consequences of injection drug use. He has extensive field experience in Russia and eastern Europe, including work on alcohol and HIV risk reduction programs in St. Petersburg and a HIV prevalence study among drug-users in Russia and Estonia. Dr. Heimer received his training in molecular biology and pharmacology at Columbia College (BA) and Yale University (MA, PhD).
Olga S. Levina is a co-founder and Development Director of Stellit, a St. Petersburg-based NGO, which focuses on public health issues in Russia, including HIV/AIDS. Her work focuses on the health issues that face socially-excluded populations, such as injection drug users, imprisoned women, neglected children, and female sex workers. She also researches law enforcement, public health, and other professional systems in Russian cities. Dr. Levina has extensive experience in the development and evaluation of regional and institutional-level projects and programs in Russia, and has contributed to more than 70 scientific publications. She received her Ph.D. from St. Petersburg State University, where she studied psychology and management. From 2013-2014, she received post-doctoral training at the Yale School of Public Health.
Judyth Twigg is professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also currently serving as a senior associate (non-resident) with the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; consultant to the World Bank, the U.S. federal government, and UNICEF; and adjunct professor at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Twigg’s work focuses on issues of health, demographic change, and health systems reform in Eurasia, as well as evaluations of human development and public sector management projects globally. She has testified as an expert witness before the U.S. Congress and has been a member of several congressional and other high-level advisory groups on Russian affairs. She holds a B.S. in physics from Carnegie Mellon University, an M.A. in political science and Russian studies from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Ph.D. in political science and security studies from MIT.
Speakers
Robert Heimer
Judyth Twigg