Merlene Fredricks, M.B.B.S., M.P.H.
Newswise — Merlene Fredricks, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Urban-Global Public Health at the Rutgers School of Public Health as an associate professor and will play a central role in the development and launch of the first fully online Master of Public Health degree offered by the school.
Fredricks is a seasoned public health leader, having served as the first female Chief Medical Officer of St. Lucia, where she spent close to a decade overseeing the country’s public health response including epidemic and disaster preparedness, risk communication, policy and program development, budget development and fundraising, and legislative negotiations. Under her leadership, the St. Lucia Ministry of Health established its current public health structure, which allowed it to oversee a wide array of programs. She has managed public health emergencies such as outbreaks of H1N1, Dengue Fever, Zika, Chikungunya, and Pertussis. Passionate about maternal and child health, Fredricks has also strengthened St. Lucia programs that address the needs of mothers and babies and performed research on maternal mortality.
Working with the Pan American Health Organization Biennial Work Program, Fredericks oversaw the implementation of initiatives geared toward tobacco reduction and increasing mental health resilience. Under her leadership, St. Lucia was the first in the Eastern Caribbean to have a repeat, island-wide, Behavioral Risk Factor Survey.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Merlene Fredricks has joined the Department of Urban-Global Public Health,” says Leslie M. Kantor, chair of the department. “Having faculty members who have been global leaders in public health contributes to critical skills and insights for our students.”
Fredricks is a passionate mentor, who has assisted with the professional development and training of public health officers, physicians, nurses, health educators, and other public health practitioners. During her tenure with the Ministry of Health in St. Lucia, she strengthened its human resources and managed projects, which trained young professionals in medicine, nursing, midwifery, environmental and public health, health promotion, entomology, epidemiology, and other areas, ensuring continuity of care as workers retired from the health sector. Fredricks is already mentoring numerous Rutgers School of Public Health students for their global health applied practices experiences and capstones.
“Dr. Fredricks is a wonderful addition to the school, who will help further our offerings in global public health,” says Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health. “Through her prior work, she has trained dozens of public health leaders and has helped to build a public health infrastructure that is guided by science, social justice, and health equity.”
“I am delighted to join the Rutgers School of Public Health and help to train the next generation of global public health professionals,” says Fredericks. “The school’s commitment to its students and dedication to equity make me honored to be a member of the faculty.”
About the Rutgers School of Public Health
The Rutgers School of Public Health is New Jersey’s only accredited school of public health that seeks to improve health and prevent disease in diverse populations in New Jersey and around the world through educating students to become well-qualified and effective public health leaders, researchers, and practitioners; conducting research to advance public health science and policies; and providing service programs that promote population and individual health. Visit us at https://sph.rutgers.edu and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to learn how we're "keeping the ‘public’ in public health.”
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