Supporting WASH Research, Diabetes Innovation

Global WASH Faculty Receive Recognition, Support for Innovation

Rollins faculty Thomas Clasen, PhD; Matthew Freeman, PhD; Maya Nadimpalli, PhD; and Marlene Wolfe, PhD; have been selected as the recipients of a recent gift established by Rose Gangarosa that funds research projects aimed at advancing innovation in water, sanitation, and hygiene.

This gift comes at a time when investment in global health has faced significant setbacks and funding cuts. Gangarosa, now 101, was 100 years old when she made the gift and remarked at the time, “Maybe this is why I’m still alive ... so I can help.”

Kathryn Graves, senior associate dean for advancement and alumni engagement, recalls Gangarosa commenting, “I know Gene would be pleased about this.”

Rose Gangarosa’s husband, the late Eugene Gangarosa, was a pioneer in the field of water, sanitation, and hygiene. Considered a founding father of what is now the Rollins School of Public Health, Gangarosa led the transformation of the MPH program and continued to teach well into his 90s. The Gangarosas have made substantial gifts to the school since its inception. In 2020, the Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health was named in honor of their generosity.

Shivani Patel Selected for Applebaum-Peabody Endowed Professorship of Global Diabetes

Shivani Patel, PhD, has been appointed as the Applebaum-Peabody Endowed Professor of Global Diabetes following approval by the Board of Trustees this past February. This funded position is made possible through a gift from Rhona Applebaum and Mark Peabody during Emory’s 2036 campaign.

Applebaum and Peabody are original supporters of the Emory Global Diabetes Research Center (EGDRC) and have provided numerous gifts to Rollins over the years, including creating a scholarship for PhD students and funding the Applebaum-Peabody Global Health Ideation Room in the R. Randall Rollins Building.

“Mark and Rhona have shown their trust in the center, their belief in this work, and their desire to invest in the community beyond themselves,” said Patel during a ceremony celebrating her appointment earlier this year. “As Trusted Advisors, Rhona and Mark have been thought partners who understand how to bridge research and real-world impact; people who know the importance of going beyond the academy. I thank you for your generosity and faith in the work we do.”

Patel’s research focuses on cardiometabolic health, with a particular emphasis on the role of socio-contextual factors in the development and management of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. She applies a range of methodologies and study designs, including population-based surveillance, cohort studies, and clinical trials, to address key questions in the epidemiology and treatment of these conditions.

Her current projects involve multidisciplinary collaborations investigating the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiometabolic health in the United States and social influences on cardiovascular disease risk in India.

“From the beginning, the EGDRC’s ethos has aligned with the core values that have guided my life’s pursuits: curiosity, connection, and community,” Patel said. 

“Curiosity about the world led me to science, and curiosity about myself has led to much learning… Through EGDRC, I’ve found that collaboration is a form of friendship, one that I hold dear. Community is where you can belong and where you can contribute to something beyond yourself. That is what EGDRC has been for me and so many others.”