Dr. Joanna Rubinstein is the director of the Center for Global Health and Economic Development at the Earth Institute (CGHED). She is also Jeffrey D. Sachs’ Chief of Staff, where she coordinates the activities of the Earth Institute Director’s Office and supports the Director in establishing new strategic partnership initiatives and international projects.

Dr. Rubinstein is trained as a DDS and a scientist with a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology. She uses her 15 years of experience as a practicing scientist and senior administrator in Europe to coordinate complex projects across the Earth Institute. On the international front, she was responsible for the science and health initiatives of the UN Millennium Project and helped to develop collaborations with foreign academic institutions, research-funding organizations and the private sector.

Dr. Rubinstein leads several strategic initiatives within the University and with external partners, including the Malaria Quick Impact Initiative, scaling up of Neglected Tropical Disease Control, Digital Health, Early Childhood Development, the Drylands Initiative, and national advisory programs to scale up health systems to attain the Millennium Development Goals.

Before coming to the Earth Institute in 2005, Dr. Rubinstein was the Senior Associate Dean for Institutional and Global Initiatives at the Columbia University Medical Center. Prior to that, Dr. Rubinstein was at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, where she was director for research and postgraduate education from 1999 to 2002. She also served as Sweden's representative to a European Commission committee and was a director at Sweden's Medical Research Council (1997–99).

Healthcare, Economic Development, International Relations, Molecular Biology, Science, Scientists, Foreign Affairs, Leadership, Biology