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Leonard Wood Memorial Promotes Dr Marivic Balagon to Executive Director
Posted on 13 January 2011 by
Greenville, S.C. (January 12, 2011) – Leonard Wood Memorial and American Leprosy Missions are pleased to announce the promotion of Dr. Marivic Balagon to the position of Executive Director of the Leonard Wood Memorial Center for Leprosy Research in Cebu, Philippines, in parallel with changes in leadership at ALM and LWM U.S.A.
Dr. Balagon received her medical training in Cebu, Philippines. She has served in several roles at the Leonard Wood Memorial during the past 20 years, most recently as Assistant Director and Chief of Epidemiology. Dr. Balagon is currently managing an in-depth study of the epidemiology of leprosy in the island of Cebu. This includes using “DNA fingerprinting” to distinguish different strains of leprosy as well as creating a database of all leprosy cases for the entire island since 2000, so that transmission patterns of the disease can be well understood. This research is crucial to the understanding and eventual eradication of an ancient disease whose transmission remains a mystery.
“We are delighted to promote Dr. Balagon”, says Bill Simmons, the new President of Leonard Wood Memorial U.S.A. and President and CEO of American Leprosy Missions. “We are very fortunate to have Dr. Balagon, with her dedication and extensive experience in leprosy research, directing day-to-day operations of Leonard Wood Memorial.”
Founded in 1928, LWM established a leprosy clinical and laboratory research facility in Cebu Island in the Philippines. It has published numerous scientific publications in reputable international journals and has coordinated significant leprosy research and trainings worldwide, most recently playing an integral role in the search for a leprosy vaccine. Technical support for LWM will continue to be provided by Dr. Paul Saunderson, Scientific Director, and Dr. Douglas Walsh, Scientific Consultant.
Reproduced with kind permission of American Leprosy Missions
Contact:
Ms. Sarah Hesshaus, Communications Manager: shesshaus@leprosy.org
Categories: Members, News and Notes, Philippines