Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, the inaugural Margaret C. Ryan Dean and the Eugene S. and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professor of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis, will present “Why Health? Reimagining What We Think About When We Think About Health,” as part of the university’s Assembly Series. The event, which is open to the public, is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, in Graham Chapel on the Danforth Campus. Registration is required; space is limited.
Galea, who assumed the deanship of WashU’s School of Public Health Jan. 1, steps into the role during a transformative period in public health.
The field grapples with challenges laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed deep fractures in public trust and sharp disagreements over how to balance individual freedoms, shared responsibility and the strategies required to manage crises. Now, a new federal administration is poised to reshape longstanding institutions and policies that influence every aspect of health.
Galea acknowledged the complexity of this shift. “The coming years could see real challenges to the regulatory and institutional frameworks that underpin public health,” he said. “Some changes may improve these structures, and some likely will be deleterious to the philosophy and approaches of public health.”
For Galea, this is a moment not of despair, but of possibility — a time to reimagine what health can and should be and to redefine society’s approach.
He emphasized the importance of first acknowledging and celebrating myriad public health successes over the decades. From eradicating disease to improving life expectancy, these achievements serve as a foundation for progress.
Galea urged a reevaluation of core values — what people believe health should mean, the investments we are willing to make as a society, and the actions needed to achieve it.
Perhaps most importantly, Galea called for a willingness to engage with difficult, often uncomfortable questions, about how to ensure a more equitable future for all.
As he prepares to lead the school into this new era, Galea will share his vision with the community, challenging public health professionals, policymakers and the public alike to channel moments of disruption into opportunities to create a healthier, more just world.
