The program is funded by a three-year, $1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We are particularly honored by this grant because it is the first joint award from the U.S. Programs and Global Health divisions at the Foundation,” said Lisa Cohen, Director of the WGHA.

“While our state’s reputation is growing as a center for global health, we have the perfect opportunity to work together to develop the next generation of global health leaders,” Cohen continued. “By bringing teachers, students and our global health organizations together, we are forging long-term ties between Washington State secondary schools and our world-class global health leaders to ensure a lasting leadership position in global health.”

In addition to Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (SBRI), WGHA members include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI), PATH, Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), Seattle's Children's Hospital (GAPPS), University of Washington Department of Global Health (UW), Washington State University Department of Animal Global Health (WSU), Public Health-Seattle & King County (PHSKC) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).