Lunch & Learn: Global Vaccine Distribution and Closing the Immunization Gap

GMI hosted our first event of the fall on October 21st from 1-2pm. This lunch & learn discussed Global Vaccine Distribution and Closing the Immunization Gap led by our two keynote speakers: Dr. Jillian Kohler and Anna Wong. This event was held over Zoom.

Dr. Jillian Clare Kohler, PhD is a Professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and the Munk School of Global Affairs. She is also Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Governance, Transparency and Accountability in the Pharmaceutical Sector. Her professional background includes in-house pharmaceutical policy work at Unicef, the World Bank, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), where she did fieldwork in a range of countries including Brazil, Bulgaria, Haiti, and Romania. Kohler is a recognized global expert on anti-corruption, transparency, and accountability in the pharmaceutical system. She has worked with the WHO, the UNDP, and the Global Fund in their efforts to advance more research, policy, and practice on anti-corruption in the health and pharmaceutical systems. She is also a technical advisor for the Access to Medicines Index and was an advisor to the now-concluded WHO Good Governance for Medicines Programme.

Anna Wong is a JD Candidate at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and Massey College Junior Fellow. She is also a research associate at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Governance, Accountability, and Transparency in the Pharmaceutical Sector, where she conducts research on pharmaceutical governance and access to medicines. Anna spent this past summer working at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, where she supported the legal operation of the COVAX Facility. Her past work experience includes positions in trade and health policy, regulatory affairs, and project management at the US Department of Health and Human Services, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Thank you to our keynote speakers and to all those who attended for helping us make our first event of the 2021-2022 academic year a success!!