.::. UCLA Global .::.

Public Health Beyond Borders: Infectious Disease Research and Prevention Spans Multiple Continents

Professor of Epidemiology and Gordon-Levin Endowed Chair in Infectious Diseases and Public Health Dr. Anne Rimoin leads epidemiological initiatives in Central Africa, training the next generation of global public health leaders.

5/27/2025 12:00:00 AM § Alisa Egecioglu, Global Data Coordinator

The UCLA-Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Health Research and Training program is truly unique. Founded in 2002 by Dr. Anne Rimoin, the program is based at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health but also operates a center in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Having been built upon Dr. Rimoin’s earlier work on Mpox (then called Monkeypox), the program conducts infectious disease research on Mpox, Ebola, and other diseases of unknown origin in preparation for outbreaks. Providing the opportunity to train on-location in the DRC, the program trains UCLA-affiliated scientists and Congolese researchers alike. Many of the program affiliates now work for agencies such as the World Health Organization, and also as leaders in different countries’ national health systems. The UCLA-DRC Congolese team in front of the Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale INRB) laboratory in Kinshasa, DRC. Included in the photo are: Nicole Hoff (UCLA-DRC Country Director, FSPH PhD ’14), Kirstin Chickering (UCLA-DRC Associate Director, FSPH MPH ’95), Anne Rimoin (UCLA-DRC Founder/Program Director, FSPH MPH ’97). (Photo: Elie Lokutumba).

The UCLA-DRC Congolese team in front of the Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale INRB) laboratory in Kinshasa, DRC. Included in the photo are: Nicole Hoff (UCLA-DRC Country Director, FSPH PhD ’14), Kirstin Chickering (UCLA-DRC Associate Director, FSPH MPH ’95), Anne Rimoin (UCLA-DRC Founder/Program Director, FSPH MPH ’97). (Photo: Elie Lokutumba).

While the program is making a global impact through training outcomes, it also has a local impact through the involvement of its trainees. Several UCLA doctoral students who participated in UCLA-DRC's Graduate Training Program now serve on its leadership team, returning to a place that fueled their passion for global public health. Congolese researchers have done the same, with one trainee currently serving as the program’s first UCLA Global Affiliate. Through research output and participant integration, UCLA-DRC has solidified its reputation as a global health partnership, inspiring and educating leaders in disease prevention and response. The program continues to contribute to epidemiological knowledge and an international effort to mitigate emerging diseases.