Katherine O'Brien
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Katherine "Kate" L. O'Brien (born 1963) is a Canadian American pediatric infectious disease
physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...
,
epidemiologist Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population, and application of this knowledge to prevent diseases. It is a cornerstone ...
, and vaccinologist who specializes in the areas of pneumococcal epidemiology,
pneumococcal vaccine Pneumococcal vaccines are vaccines against the bacterium ''Streptococcus pneumoniae''. Their use can prevent some cases of pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis. There are two types of pneumococcal vaccines: conjugate vaccines and polysaccharide ...
trials and impact studies, and surveillance for pneumococcal disease. She is also known as an expert in infectious diseases (including pneumonia and diarrheal diseases) in American Indian populations. O’Brien is currently the Director of the World Health Organization's Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals.


Early life and education

O'Brien was born in
Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
. She grew up in
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
, in the province of
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, and graduated from
Lisgar Collegiate Institute Lisgar Collegiate Institute is an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board secondary school in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The school is located in downtown Ottawa by the Rideau Canal. History In 1843, a grammar school with 40 paying students was ...
in 1980. In 1984, O'Brien earned a BSc in chemistry from the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
. In 1988, O'Brien received an MD from
McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
at the age of 25 years old. O'Brien came to the United States to do her residency in pediatric at
Johns Hopkins Hospital Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1889, Johns Hopkins Hospital and its school of medicine are considered to be the foundin ...
from 1988 to 1991. In 1994, O'Brien received an MPH from
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the public health graduate school of Johns Hopkins University, a private university, private research university primarily based in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded as the Johns Hopkins ...
focused on International Public Health/International Health while also doing a two-year training program in pediatric infectious diseases.


Career

In 1991, O'Brien worked for a year in
Port-au-Prince, Haiti Port-au-Prince ( ; ; , ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2022 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is defined by the IHSI ...
on a children's health project on HIV transmission. She said the experience was formative, and led her to view vaccines as being a social justice issue. From 1995 to 1997, she worked at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the National public health institutes, national public health agency of the United States. It is a Federal agencies of the United States, United States federal agency under the United S ...
(CDC) as an Epidemiologic Intelligence Officer in the Bacterial Respiratory Diseases Branch. In 1996, as part of her job at the CDC, and given her previous experience in Haiti, O'Brien traveled to Haiti to investigate an outbreak of children who were dying. O'Brien and colleague Joel Selanikio (from the CDC) discovered the children had been exposed to liquid acetaminophen Afebril and Valodon manufactured by Pharval that was contaminated with almost 25%
diethylene glycol Diethylene glycol (DEG) is an organic compound with the formula (HOCH2CH2)2O. It is a colorless, practically odorless, and hygroscopic liquid with a sweetish taste. It is a four carbon Dimer (chemistry), dimer of ethylene glycol. It is miscible in ...
(DEG), a poison. It was later discovered that there was contamination in the supply chain tracing back to a Chinese manufacturer. In July 1998, O'Brien joined the faculty of
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the public health graduate school of Johns Hopkins University, a private university, private research university primarily based in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded as the Johns Hopkins ...
, eventually becoming a Professor of International Health and Epidemiology and Executive Director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the public health graduate school of Johns Hopkins University, a private university, private research university primarily based in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded as the Johns Hopkins ...
. Her scientific and policy work domestically and globally has focused on vaccine preventable illnesses, among both children and adults. The work has included surveillance, epidemiology, and vaccine clinical trials of pneumococcal disease; rotavirus; ''Haemophilus influenzae'' type b; respiratory syncytial virus and influenza vaccines. She has worked extensively with American Indian populations and in Africa and south Asia, partnering with local scientists and country program staff to develop rigorous scientific evidence and bring it into the vaccine policy arena, thereby accelerating the use and access to life-saving vaccines for children living in low resource countries and settings. She left Johns Hopkins in December 2018. In January 2019, O'Brien became the director of the Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals Department at the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
(WHO). In this role, she is responsible for leading the overall work and strategy of the Department to advance the vision of reducing the health, social and economic burden of vaccine preventable diseases. The Director works across all levels of WHO (country, region and headquarters) in collaboration with partners to deliver country impact. She has worked in close partnerships with GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, university colleagues, NGOs, and with countries to advance programs and policies on child health.


Personal life

O'Brien is married to an adult infectious disease physician who specializes in HIV/AIDs, who she met while working in Haiti. They have a daughter and a son.


Leadership

* 2012-2018:
WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...
, Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) * Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI), Board Member *
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the public health graduate school of Johns Hopkins University, a private university, private research university primarily based in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded as the Johns Hopkins ...
's Center for American Indian Health, Senior Advisor, Infectious Disease


Awards

* 1997:
Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...
, Group Recognition Award for meritorious service in the investigation of an international public health crisis which was associated with the contamination of pharmaceuticals by diethylene glycol * 1997:
CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is headquartered in Atlanta, ...
, Group Honor Award for The Haiti Emergency Response Team * 1997: CDC, Donald C. Mackel Memorial Award for "Epidemic of Deaths from Acute Renal Failure Among Children in Haiti" * 1998:
United States Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the US federal government created to protect the health of the US people and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
, Secretary's Distinguished Service Award * 1999: CDC, James H. Nakano Citation for "Epidemic of Pediatric Deaths from Acute Renal Failure Caused by Diethylene Glycol Poisoning" * 2001: CDC, Honor Award for outstanding scientific contributions to public health, Group B Streptococcal Prevention Team * 2003: CDC, Outstanding Scientific Contribution to Public Health Award (nominee) * 2008: Sabin Vaccine Institute, Young Investigator Award * 2011:
National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...
, President's Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE) * 2013: Robert Austrian Award and Lectureship * 2014: International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD-9), Robert Austrian Lecturer * 2015:
Maryland Women's Hall of Fame Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...


Selected works and publications

* * * * * * * *


References


External links


Kate O'Brien
at
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:OBrien, Katherine American public health doctors Johns Hopkins University faculty American pediatricians Women pediatricians Living people McGill University Faculty of Medicine alumni Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health alumni University of Toronto alumni 1963 births Women public health doctors Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers