Global public health leaders react to Charles B. Holmes being named dean of Michigan Public Health
By Jeff Bleiler and Bob Cunningham
Charles B. Holmes, MPH ’95, an internationally recognized physician-scientist and global health leader, has been appointed to serve as the next dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Holmes’ five-year appointment, approved by the Board of Regents at its June 25 meeting, will go into effect July 1. Holmes replaces Lynda Lisabeth, who has served in an interim capacity since June 16, 2025, following the departure of F. DuBois Bowman.
Laurie McCauley, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, announced Holmes’ recommendation May 28 following a national search.
“Charles Holmes returns to Michigan with a rare view of public health’s full reach, from clinical care and research to national policy and global implementation," she said. “He understands that public health efficacy is measured by the strength of the evidence and, crucially, by whether that evidence reaches people, shapes systems and improves lives. That combination of scientific rigor, practical judgment and public purpose will serve the School of Public Health exceptionally well as it builds on its long record of impact.”
Holmes has served as the inaugural director of Georgetown University’s Center for Innovation in Global Health since 2020, as well as a professor of medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and distinguished scholar at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.
Since 2023, he also has been a senior adviser to the CEO of the Gates Medical Research Institute, where he helps shape global access, financing and partnership strategies for products in development for low- and middle-income markets, including tuberculosis vaccine candidates.
Holmes’ research, policy and implementation work has helped shape global HIV treatment and prevention strategies. His scholarship has informed World Health Organization guidelines and national policies, particularly in HIV treatment, prevention, and health systems innovation.
Reactions to Holmes’ appointment
“Charles Holmes has become one of the world’s most respected global health leaders, and the School of Public Health is lucky to benefit from his vast experience, policy insights, scientific credibility and global and domestic networks.”
— Sir Peter Piot, MD, PhD, professor of global health and director emeritus of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
“Charles brings a rare combination of scientific rigor, deep commitment to health equity, and on-the-ground experience working with governments and communities to strengthen health systems.”
— Ambassador John Nkengasong, former US global AIDS coordinator for PEPFAR and senior bureau official for the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy at the US State Department, and executive director for Higher Education and Collaborative at Mastercard Foundation
“Dr. Charles Holmes is a pioneer and thought leader with the exceptional talent to draw the brightest minds around him and lift them up. His brilliance in public health bends toward three pillars: intellectual excellence, rigorous research and the care for others.”
— Michele Goodwin, Linda D. and Timothy J. O’Neill Professor of Constitutional Law and Global Health Policy and faculty director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University
“Charles’ leadership at CIDRZ was grounded in a vision to build an enduring institution that would serve as a permanent resource to Zambia and its people for its public health priorities.”
— Izukanji Sikazwe, former deputy to Holmes at the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, later CEO of CIDRZ, and now head of HIV at the Global Fund
“Malawi has benefited a lot from partnering with Charles in the field of HIV prevention. Together with the Ministry of Health and National AIDS Commission, he co-designed a data-driven, locally led HIV prevention model, known as the Blantyre Prevention Strategy, to tackle a complex HIV epidemic in Blantyre City and District.”
— Beatrice Matanje, CEO of the National AIDS Commission in Malawi
“His appointment underscores a rare combination of strengths: the ability to lead large, complex programs, genuinely cultivate the growth of others, and keep every effort aligned with a singular purpose—a healthier world for all.”
— Julia Mackenzie, former PEPFAR staff member under Holmes and chief program officer at the American Association for the Advancement of Science
“Charles Holmes has been an expert adviser to Gates MRI on the global access strategy for the tuberculosis vaccine candidate since 2023. Throughout this time, he has lent his expertise and relationship-building acumen to our executive leadership to enable key interactions with WHO working groups; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; and ministries of health. Working with Charles and drawing on his prior experiences has been seminal to the planning activities for MRI.”
— Krishnan Ramanathan, interim CEO of Gates Medical Research Institute
