Wikipedia

John Nwangwu

John Tochukwu Nwangwu is a Nigerian-American public health doctor with expertise in infectious diseases and epidemiology, a consultant at the World Health Organization and a professor at both Yale University and Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). At Yale University, he holds the position of Clinical Professor of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology. While at SCSU he holds the position of Professor of Epidemiology and Global Health.

John Tochukwu Nwangwu
Born1952 (age 71–72)
Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
NationalityAmerican and Nigerian
Scientific career
FieldsEpidemiology and Infectious Diseases
InstitutionsYale University and Southern Connecticut State University Previous/Other Affiliations: Columbia University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kern County Health Department, Loma Linda University, University of Nebraska, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, and Erasmus University

Early life

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Nwangwu was born in 1952 in Umuahia—now located in Abia State, Nigeria, where his father was a civil servant to the Public Works Department (PWD), a governmental department. His parents, Sidney and Phoebe Nwangwu, were from Ogidi and Umudioka respectively, in Anambra State Nigeria. He is the third of six children [1]

During the Biafra War, he joined the medical unit (International Red Cross) of Biafra's Army. Following the war, after completing his secondary education, the opportunity to migrate to the United States of America arose.[1]

Education

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He received his undergraduate medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine in 1979,[2] and his Masters of Public Health from Loma Linda University Medical Center's school of Public Health in 1982.[3] He held a Fellowship in Infections Diseases at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City and received his doctorate in Public Health from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health[4] in 1988. Nwangwu's education continued at Erasmus University Medical School, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands where he completed his post-doctoral training.

Career

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In his work with the World Health Organization, Nwangwu provides expertise in the fields of infectious disease and epidemiology throughout the world.[5][6][7]

Between March 2013 and July 2014, Nwangwu consulted with WHO on the Ebola outbreak working on the ground in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia following the onset of the soon to be pandemic. He has been featured in several interviews regarding his experiences with the disease[8][6][7] including the PBS Nova Documentary Ebola: The Plague Fighters, where the 1995 outbreak of Ebola in Kikwit, Zaire, is investigated.[9]

Nwangwu has been educating and training healthcare providers since 1982.[10] He has held academic appointments in numerous institutions including, Columbia University,[11] Yale University,[12][13] Harvard University,[14][15] Princeton University,[16] Johns Hopkins University,[17] Southern Connecticut State University,[18] and University of Connecticut.[19] He joined the faculty of Southern Connecticut State University in 1991, becoming a tenured professor in 1995.

His hospital appointments include, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City where he served as Director of the Tropical Disease Clinic, Director for Infection Control and Epidemiology at the VA Hospital in Rocky Hill Connecticut, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston Massachusetts as a faculty visiting scholar.[15]

He joined the Kern County Health Department in California as the Chief Epidemiologist and then the Director of Epidemiology and Data Management.

Nwangwu is currently a fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, The Royal Society of Medicine, The American Board of Tropical Medicine, The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, and The New York Academy of Sciences.

Publications

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Early publications include those in The Journal of Clinical Toxicology, and The Connecticut Review. More recent publications appear in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Annals of Epidemiology, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.

Personal life

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Since 1997, Nwangwu has led teams of medical providers on service trips to Nigeria, providing comprehensive healthcare to thousands.[20][21]

In addition, Nwangwu serves on the Board of a number of organizations including: MedSend,[22] the Overseas Ministries Study Center,[23][24] Faithcare Inc.,[25] Kateri Medical Services Inc.,[26] and Fanafi Worldwide.[27]

References

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  1. ^ a b Ugorji O Ugorji, Tall Drums: Portraits of Nigerians who are changing America. Sungai Books 1998.
  2. ^ University of Nebraska Medical Center, Graduate Commencement Bulletin 1979.
  3. ^ Loma Linda University, School of Public Health graduation lists 1992.
  4. ^ Columbia University, Graduate Commencement Bulletin 1988.
  5. ^ [1][permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ a b "Local doctor talks working amid the Ebola outbreak | WTNH". Archived from the original on 2014-10-04. Retrieved 2014-10-02.
  7. ^ a b Skahill, Patrick (2014-09-04). "Connecticut Doctor Fighting Ebola Outbreak: "It's a Terrible Way to Die"". Connecticut Public Radio. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  8. ^ "Yale, Southern epidemiologist concerned poor infrastructure contributes to Ebola epidemic". New Haven Register. 2014-09-03. Archived from the original on 2018-01-15. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  9. ^ "Nova Documentary: Ebola: The Plague Fighters". PBS. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  10. ^ [2] Archived 2015-06-11 at the Wayback Machine Southern: Alumni Magazine Spring 2007. Page 14.
  11. ^ Ugorji O Ugorji, Tall Drums: Portraits of Nigerians who are changing America, Sungai Books 1998
  12. ^ Yale University New Haven Connecticut, Office of the Secretary, List of Appointments 1994
  13. ^ Yale University, Directory 1995-1996
  14. ^ Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics 1998-99 Faculty, Annual Appointees, Staff List
  15. ^ a b "Kathryn Lunetta, Visitors enrich the department". Archived from the original on 2012-05-17. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  16. ^ "Princeton". RealCTY. 2019-12-12. Archived from the original on 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  17. ^ Johns Hopkins University, Human Resources CTY appoints 2011
  18. ^ Professors Study Racial Health Gap, Alumni Magazine, Southern CT State University Winter 2008
  19. ^ Letters of appointment, School of Medicine University of Connecticut, Office of Chancellor and Provost for Health Affairs 1996.
  20. ^ "In Service to Nigeria Archived 2013-10-23 at the Wayback Machine". SouthernLife, October 2012. Vol. 16. No. 2. Page 4. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  21. ^ "A Man of Action Archived 2015-06-11 at the Wayback Machine". Southern: Alumni Magazine Spring 2007. Page 14
  22. ^ "Medsend Team | Medsend". Archived from the original on 2013-12-26. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  23. ^ "The World Health Organization: A Conversation with a Christian Consultant". osmc.org. Archived from the original on 25 June 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  24. ^ "OMSC Previous Lectures". Archived from the original on 2014-07-06. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  25. ^ "FaithCare". FaithCare. Archived from the original on 2018-11-24. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  26. ^ "Home". Kateri Clinic. 2018-11-28. Archived from the original on 2017-07-21. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  27. ^ "Board of Directors". Fanafiworldwide.com. 2005-11-30. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
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