Get to Know Dr. Chris Beyrer, 2025 Global Health Week Keynote Speaker

Chris Beyrer, M.D., MPH, an internationally recognized epidemiologist who has worked on the front lines of HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 treatment and research, became director of the Duke Global Health Institute in August 2022. He is the Gary Hock Distinguished Professor of Global Infectious Diseases at Duke, and a professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, and will deliver the keynote presentation at the 2025 MUSC Global Health Week at noon on Monday, April 7, 2025.

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Keynote Presentation April 7

Get to know Dr. Beyrer in this exclusive Q&A about his career, interests, and what attendees can expect from this year's keynote presentation.

Q: How and when did you first become interested in global health?

A: My first job out of residency training and ID fellowship at Johns Hopkins was to go out to Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, and set up clinical trial sites for HIV vaccine trials. This was 1992.

Q: You became director of the Duke Global Health Institute in August 2022 – what drew you to the University and the role, and what are some of the institutional priorities in the coming year?

A: Duke has a commitment to interdisciplinary research and learning that I found compelling. DGHI is situated in the School of Medicine and in the broader university, so it has great ability to draw on multiple fields. We are focused on expanding global mental health, global health and climate change, and enhancing the policy impact of our research.

Q: Why should Universities prioritize global health in their educational and research endeavors?

A: Global health is a great field for experiential learning opportunities, and of course, so many threats to health, from pandemics to climate change, are global issues.

Q: You’ve conducted research on HIV epidemiology, prevention and treatment around the globe for more than three decades – how would you characterize progress achieved in the field during this time and why has this been such a passion area for you?

A: The progress has been transformative, taking HIV from a lethal infection to a chronic disease, and now to an almost entirely preventable infection. But the progress is threatened.

Q: Based on your years of experience in global health and development, what are some of the lessons learned, changes that should be made, and what process should be used to implement reforms in aid programs?

A: We have to partner early and consistently with affected communities to achieve lasting results. Capacity building is key and requires real investment. The best research collaborations are based on lasting friendships, and the kind of relationships of trust and equity that benefit all involved.

Q: Your keynote is titled, “The State of Global Health in a New Era of Uncertainty.” What are some of the key themes or points of interest you’d like to share as a preview to your presentation?

A: The U.S. has been the largest funder of global health for decades but that has abruptly changed. We’re going to need innovation and efficiency to best use scarcer resources. And country ownership of development and health efforts can’t be just a buzzword, we’re going to need action to achieve real gains.

Q: What are three pieces of advice you would give to students who are considering pursuing an area of global health in their clinical or research work?

A: Get as much field experience as you can. The best questions and the best ideas come from work on the ground with affected communities. Be humble, listen, and be open to learning from everyone you encounter in the work.