Newswise — The Rutgers COVID Response Pandemic Preparedness Center, which is coordinating the university’s myriad research, public health, and outreach efforts to combat COVID-19, has named Henry F. Raymond, associate professor in the department of biostatistics and epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health, as it’s associate director for public health. 

Raymond will lead the center’s public health initiatives, including coordinating public health-related COVID-19 research at Rutgers and collaborations between the university and external partners. He will also serve as the principal advisor and communicator on public health-related matters.

Raymond, an epidemiologist who bridges academic research and public health practice, both domestically and internationally, focuses his research on populations at high risk for HIV infection - including men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, trans women, prisoners, migrant populations and female sex workers - LGBT populations, hepatitis C infection, health disparities, and social determinants of health.  He has been consistently funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Defense, to whom he regularly provides expert advice on novel epidemiological methods.

Currently, Raymond is working closely with the New Jersey Department of Health on HIV and hepatitis issues. He has also been actively involved in explaining COVID-19 epidemiological concepts to the general public by speaking to local, state, and national media outlets. 

“I’m very excited that Henry F. Raymond will be serving as the associate director for public health at the COVID Response Pandemic Preparedness Center,” said David Alland, center director and chief of infectious disease at New Jersey Medical School. “Dr. Raymond will be an excellent partner, providing crucial public health and epidemiological expertise.”

The center, which was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, uses strengths that collectively are unique to the university. These strengths include the Rutgers Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (i3D), a global leader in infectious disease research; NJMS/i3D biosafety level 3 laboratories that are equipped to study dangerous pathogens; world-class, health-related schools that include medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, dentistry and health professions, in addition to several renowned centers and institutes; world-class engineering, computational sciences, social sciences, business, law, artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities; and the Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, which facilitates clinical and translational research via several research cores.

“Henry F. Raymond possess extensive hands-on experience working with local, state, and global departments of health on infectious disease surveillance,” said Perry N. Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health. “His epidemiological skills, coupled with his experience, perfectly situate him for this role.”

“I look forward to working with colleagues from across the university and our private and community partners to expand upon the center’s work by providing a public health perspective that is rooted in social justice and health equity,” added Raymond. 

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ABOUT THE RUTGERS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

The Rutgers School of Public Health is New Jersey’s leading academic institution in public health that is committed to advancing health and wellbeing and preventing disease throughout New Jersey, the United States, and the world, by preparing students as public health leaders, scholars, and practitioners; conducting public health research and scholarship; engaging collaboratively with communities and populations; and actively advocating for policies, programs, and services through the lens of equity and social justice. Learn how the Rutgers School of Public Health is "keeping the ‘public’ in public health,” by visiting them at https://sph.rutgers.edu.