Emily Sheldon, MPH, a Master of Public Health alumna from Vanderbilt University and former research assistant at the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH), has been awarded the Hall-Sewankambo Mid-Career Leadership Award. She received this honor at the 2025 Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) annual international conference.
This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to global health advocacy, service, education, and research. It specifically acknowledges achievements in reducing health disparities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries; establishing collaborations with colleagues in resource-poor settings; advocating for, implementing, and advancing global health policies and programs that enhance the health of individuals and the planet; and exhibiting strong leadership abilities.
Since her time at VIGH, Sheldon has been dedicated and passionate about improving health care options and delivery in Africa. She is a leader focused on helping public health entrepreneurs in Ghana and across the continent build their organizations to enhance health outcomes for everyone. Sheldon takes a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to address complex problems in resource-limited settings. Sheldon, a leader passionate about advocacy and service, relocated to Ghana to assist the Impact Hub Accra in launching its first health-specific initiative within its global network. She co-designed and co-led the new Impact Hub Accra Health Innovation program, which hosted West Africa's first health innovation hackathon. Additionally, she facilitated a 14-month series of digital health meetups in collaboration with Merck, led quarterly mental health meetups with the Ghanaian NGO PsychAidnLove Outreach, and developed a summer research program for emerging professionals.
In 2019, under Sheldon's leadership, the Health Innovation program expanded and became an independent organization known as the African Health Innovation Centre (AHIC). As the co-founder and CEO of AHIC, Sheldon leads her team in implementing programs in Ghana and beyond. She focuses on integrating innovation and entrepreneurship into traditional health care delivery, fostering connections at both the community and system levels, and empowering a new generation of thought leaders and action-takers.
One of Sheldon's key initiatives is advocating for improved policies and access to resources for individuals with disabilities in Ghana. Under her guidance, AHIC has formed partnerships with UNICEF, USAID, and various other stakeholders across sectors, including government, academia, corporations, UN agencies, community-based organizations, hospitals, and healthcare providers throughout Africa. AHIC collaborates with these partners to build trust, identify challenges, and facilitate cross-sector ideation using a systems thinking approach.
Sheldon is a 'mover and shaker' in global public health, continually pushing the envelope of possibility to ensure excellent health resources for all.