Washington DC, May 25, 2021 - We are delighted to announce that Brenda E. Rodriguez has joined the Forum for Collaborative Research, a program at UC Berkeley School of Public Health, as Deputy Director. Brenda comes with significant experience in global health, health sciences, higher education, and business administration. She will play a pivotal role in new Forum initiatives such as the Forum’s Collaborative Data Center at Berkeley Public Health and increasing the reach of our educational and training programs across Berkeley Campus, the US and internationally.

“I am thrilled that Brenda joined us as Deputy Director – her input and strategic thinking will be invaluable as we move to expand our mission across the three pillars of Service, Education, and Research,” said Veronica Miller, PhD, Director of the Forum for Collaborative Research and Adjunct Professor at Berkeley Public Health.

Brenda served as the Forum’s Senior Director for Strategic Engagement and Development for 11 years, and as Partner and Founder of Emerging Health LLC. Before working with the Forum, Brenda was the Director of International Programs at the Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI). She directed international educational activities and worked with faculty across Harvard schools and affiliated hospitals in expanding HGHI’s global health research in 15 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Brenda has also contributed to other notable academic programs such as Howard University’s College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology Collaborative Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program, and the Center for Hemoglobin Research in Minorities (CHaRM).

Brenda earned an MS in Global Health from Georgetown University in 2015, and an MBA from North Park University in 2004. She was also a Resident Fellow as part of the Harvard University Administrative Fellowship Program from 2009 to 2010. She continues to serve on the Advisory Board for the Howard University Hospital SBIRT Community Expansion Initiative, as Executive Program Consultant at Howard University, and as a member of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program Training Committee also at Howard University.

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About the Forum for Collaborative Research

Founded in 1997, The Forum for Collaborative Research at the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health is a public/private partnership with a mission to catalyze clinical development and improve global health by facilitating research, informing policy, and advancing regulatory science. The Forum’s three-pronged approach (practice, research, education) accelerates safe drug development by increasing clarity, cooperation and innovation, while maintaining standards of evidence. Forum members work in clinical practice, research, academia, industry, regulatory authorities, and patient advocacy. Using proven models for stakeholder engagement they enhance clinical trial efficiency, support fair participation, and expand access programs. Current projects focus on cytomegalovirus (CMV), viral hepatitis B (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/ nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and rare diseases.