The Future of Public Health in the United States

Georges C. Benjamin, MD is known as one of the nation’s most influential physician leaders because he speaks passionately and eloquently about the health issues having the most impact on our nation today. From his firsthand experience as a physician, he knows what happens when preventive care is not available and when the healthy choice is not the easy choice. As executive director of APHA since 2002, he is leading the Association’s push to make America the healthiest nation.

He came to APHA from his position as secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Benjamin became secretary of health in Maryland in April 1999, following four years as its deputy secretary for public health services. As secretary, Benjamin oversaw the expansion and improvement of the state’s Medicaid program. Benjamin, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois College of Medicine.

He is board-certified in internal medicine and a master of the American College of Physicians, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, a fellow emeritus of the American College of Emergency Physicians, an honorary fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health.

Brian joined de Beaumont as its third employee in 2012 and assumed the role of president and chief executive officer in 2018. Under his leadership, with the support of a dedicated team, the foundation has grown in both size and impact, becoming a prominent voice in health philanthropy and public health practice and driving transformative change to improve population health across the nation.

Brian’s strategic vision emphasizes collaboration between public health and various sectors, effective communication, and the enhancement of the nation’s public health infrastructure. His efforts have led to the development of the nation’s largest survey of the government public health workforce, the advancement of policies in major cities, the formation of business-public health partnerships, improvements in public health communication, and the strengthening of connections between clinical medicine and public health. He is also focused on building local health data ecosystems that prioritize health justice.

Prior to joining Boston University School of Public Health as its Dean in August 2025, Dr. Hyder was Senior Associate Dean for Research and Innovation and Professor of Global Health at the George Washington University’s (GWU) Milken Institute School of Public Health, where he was a faculty member since 2018. Recognized among the world’s premier scholars in health systems and policy, Dr. Hyder has spent over 25 years working to improve global health in low- and middle-income countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and pioneering empirical work around system design and constraints, biomedical ethics, and injury prevention in the developing world. At GWU, he led the nation’s first center dedicated to commercial determinants of health affecting people in the United States and globally. His National Institutes of Health-supported research has made significant contributions to our understanding of the epidemiological burden, risk factors, potential interventions, economic impact, and the socio-cultural correlates of non-communicable diseases and injuries around the world.

Dr. Hyder has authored over 400 scientific peer-reviewed papers, 30 book chapters, and numerous world reports on road safety, child injuries, and health systems. He is a past international president of the World Health Summit, is chair of the Lancet Commission on Global Gun Violence and Health, and has received the C. Everett Koop Medal of Distinction from SafeKids Worldwide as well as GWU’s Distinguished Research Career Award. Prior to his work at GWU, Dr. Hyder served for 20 years on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University’s (JHU’s) Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he was Director of the Health Systems Program, Associate Chair in the Department of International Health, and Associate Director for Global Bioethics at the JHU Berman Institute of Bioethics. In addition to his academic work, he has held several prominent advisory and chair positions affiliated with the World Health Organization and the World Bank. Dr. Hyder received his MD from the Aga Khan University in Pakistan and his MPH and PhD in public health from Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Laura Magaña is the President and CEO of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) in Washington, DC, and the Founding President of the Global Network for Academic Public Health (GNAPH) – an alliance of seven regional associations representing schools and programs of public health around the world.

Under her visionary leadership, ASPPH has harnessed the collective power of its members to drive excellence and innovation in public health education, research, and practice. During her tenure, the Association has launched several landmark initiatives, including the Academic Public Health Leadership Institute (APHIL), the Center for Public Health Workforce Development, and the Institute for Innovation, Discovery, and Excellence in Academia (IDEA).

Dr. Magaña has expanded ASPPH’s global reach, doubled its membership base, and championed advocacy efforts that shape public policy. She leads strategic initiatives that address some of the most pressing challenges of our time as part of ASPPH’s Strategic Plan 2030, including dismantling racism in academic public health, climate change and health, reimagining education for the future, preventing gun violence, promoting healthy longevity, and advancing the responsible use of artificial intelligence in education and practice.