Dr. Molly McNairy selected as an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM)

Dr. Molly McNairy, associate professor of medicine and Center for Global Health faculty, was selected as an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine (ELHM) by the National Academy of Medicine in July 2024.

Each year, the National Academy of Medicine selects up to ten early- to mid-career professionals engaged in biomedical science, population health, health care, and related areas. The program provides opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and innovation among Emerging Leaders, members of the National Academy of Medicine, and other experts in the field over its 3-year term.

Dr. McNairy’s work is focused on improving primary care delivery for cardiovascular disease and HIV in partnership with GHESKIO, a health services organization based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. GHESKIO, which was founded in 1982 by Dr. Jean Pape, professor of medicine (Dr. McNairy’s nominator for ELHM Scholar), was the first institution in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) dedicated to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. Dr. McNairy’s NIH-funded cardiovascular disease cohort study in urban Haiti has shown that the prevalence of hypertension among adolescents and young adults is four times that of Black Americans. Their findings also revealed a high burden of early-onset heart failure compared to estimates for LMICs, driven by uncontrolled hypertension. These results have helped to inform implementation trials to improve cardiovascular disease outcomes in Haiti.

Read more about the ELHM program here: https://nam.edu/programs/emerging-leaders-forum/         

Read more about Dr. McNairy’s work here: https://medicine.weill.cornell.edu/news/dr-margaret-molly-mcnairy-named-nam-emerging-leader-health-and-medicine  

Article by Megan Willkens