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Global health education is an intricate piece to advancing health equity in neurology health care.

Anindita Deb, MD, associate professor of neurology and neurosurgerySince joining UMass Chan Medical School in July 2018, Anindita Deb, MD, associate professor of neurology and neurosurgery, has been fortunate to participate in the professional programs driving global health forward in health care education. Dr. Deb developed her passion for global health at a young age witnessing economic and healthcare disparities in India while visiting family. As a result of her exposure to gaps in health care, she grew a desire to contribute to the global advancement of health equity for patients and physicians in health care. 

Dr. Deb is a member of the neurology department serving as co-director of the Movement Disorders Division, and Rita M. Martel Movement Disorders Fellowship Program, and director of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) Center of Excellence partnership site with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).  

Dr. Deb is the co-leader of the Global Health, Social Justice and Advocacy Track for neurology residents and coordinates monthly morning reports with neurology trainees and faculty at Shree Krishna Hospital and Bhaikaka University in Anand, Gujarat, India; PGIMER in Chandigarh, India; and American University in Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon. The program engages trainees to foster dialogue, learn about disease presentations, and diagnostic and treatment options in various settings, and reflect on challenges various populations face.  

As the director of the Vista Pathways Program, and leader of the Population, Community and Global Health Pathway for medical students, and director of the International Medical Education Program (IMEP), Dr. Deb is proving to be an instrumental leader in education at UMass Chan. Dr. Deb teaches the foundations of global health in the global burden of disease, refugee and migrant care, and care of vulnerable populations. This Pathway also provides medical students an opportunity to travel internationally and support global collaborations while gaining an understanding of healthcare challenges in resource-limited settings.

Dr. Deb is also the director of the Global health arm of the Collaborative in Health Equity (CHE), where she is collating global activity including education, research and clinical work occurring across the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing (GSN), Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS), and T.H. Chan School of Medicine. She believes global health is an intricate part of health education and is excited to continue supporting new and existing global collaborations. She hopes to highlight this activity in future symposia, because bringing together the UMass global health community through enlightening seminars and activities, is a priority. Importantly, she looks forward to working with the CHE team to connect activities occurring globally to those occurring locally in the Worcester community. 

Advocacy and mentorship are equally important to Dr. Deb in moving health care forward. She is a member of American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and serves on the Advocacy Committee and the AAN Health Equity Task Force. She is a global health subcommittee member of the Massachusetts Medical Society.  She gained advocacy skills through the AAN Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum (PALF) and participated as an advisor and faculty. She regularly joins colleagues to advocate for patient care at Neurology on the Hill. She is past-president and executive committee member of the Massachusetts Neurologic Association (MNA) since 2014. She serves as an American Parkinson’s Disease Association (APDA) Massachusetts Chapter member, is an International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) member and is a member of the Huntington Study Group (HSG) and the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA). 

Dr. Deb shares, “I have been very fortunate to have incredible mentors who are clinical and global health leaders and have encouraged and supported me in fostering my passion for global health education. Over the past nine years at UMass Chan, I have been deliberate in pursuing this course and have taken advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves including those related to career development and leadership. With some luck, I have been able to mold a career which is a dynamic and a multi-faceted combination of clinical care, education, global health, advocacy and mentorship and continues to drive my professional vitality!” 

To learn more about the global health initiatives at UMass Chan review the programs listed below.