After leading the McGill International TB Centre since its inception, Dr. Marcel Behr, Professor in the Department of Medicine and Associate Member in the Departments of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health and Microbiology and Immunology, has decided to step away from his position as Director. Dr. Behr will be focusing his attention on the recently created McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity. Also stepping down are Dr. Richard Menzies, Professor in the Department of Medicine, who has been serving as Associate Director. Dr. Menzies is currently Assistant Director of the Indigenous Health Professions Program. Lynn Dery Capes, who has been serving as the Program Manager of the TB Centre has retired.
Dr. Behr’s departure ushers in a new leadership group just as the Centre once again received an annual renewal. Replacing Dr. Behr as Director of the McGill International TB Centre is Dr. Madhukar Pai, Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health and Director, McGill Global Health Programs. Dr. Pai, a Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology & Global Health at McGill completed his medical training and community medicine residency in Vellore, India. He completed his PhD in epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley (where he was recently named among the School of Public Health’s most influential 75 alumni), and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Pai’s research is mainly focused on improving the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, especially in high-burden countries like India and South Africa.
Joining Dr. Pai on the new executive team are three Associate Directors. Dr. Amrita Daftary, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health becomes Associate Director, Global/Population Health. A social and behavioural health scientist, Dr. Daftary’s research examines health care seeking and caregiving practices for HIV and TB to inform the design and evaluation of multi-level interventions. Dr. Faiz Ahmad Khan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine becomes Associate Director, Clinical Research. Dr. Khan’s focus is on Global and indigenous Lung Health and he has active research collaborations underway with the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, and with Interactive Research & Development in Karachi, Pakistan. Finally, Dr. Maziar Divangahi, Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine and Associate Member of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology becomes Associate Director, Fundamental Research. Dr. Divangahi’s focus is on developing a novel vaccine employing a pharmacological approach or recombinant Bacille de Calmette et Guérin vaccine as tools to enhance immunity and ultimately protection against pulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
The McGill International TB Centre now has 14 full members, 11 regular associates, 4 international-based associates and 1 emeritus member. Dr. Behr’s tremendous leadership, with the support of Dr. Menzies, Dr. Pai and Ms. Dery Capes, has helped to build the outstanding international reputation of the TB Centre.
Congratulations to Dr. Pai and the new executive team as they get set to embark on a new era in the fight against TB!
July 25, 2018