Alvin F. Poussaint Lecture

The Alvin F. Poussaint, MD Visiting Lecture Fund at Harvard Medical School was established in 2005 with an inaugural gift from Harvard Medical School (HMS) alumni/ae in honor of Dr. Poussaint. The purpose of the Fund is to provide an annual lecture at HMS and a forum for connecting Harvard Medical School alumni/ae leaders in medicine and science with HMS medical students and HSDM students, residents, fellows and faculty of HMS and HMS-affiliated institutions.

The Poussaint Lecture activities include:

  1. Dinner with the Poussaint Advisory Committee members and guests
  2. Alvin F. Poussaint, MD Visiting Lecture and Reception, open to the entire Harvard/HMS/HSDM/HSPH community
  3. Luncheon with medical and graduate students
  4. Meeting with Dr. Joan Y. Reede, Dean, the Office for Culture and Community Engagement
  5. Meeting with health policy fellows
  6. Hospital activities

Past Alvin F. Poussaint, MD Visiting Lecturers

YearLecturer
2005
Inaugural Lecture and Symposium ~ Alvin F. Poussaint, MD
2006

Gary H. Gibbons, MDHMS ‘84 (Cardiology)

Professor of Medicine, Director, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine

2007

Cato Laurencin, MD, PHDHMS ‘87 (Orthopaedic Surgery)

Vice President for Health Affairs at the University of Connecticut; Dean, University of

Connecticut School of Medicine

2008

M. Roy Wilson, MD, MSHMS ‘80 (Epidemiology and Ophthalmology)

Chancellor, University of Colorado Denver

2009

J. Emilio Carrillo, MD, MPHHMS ‘76, HCSPH ‘81 (Internal Medicine)

President and Chief Medical Officer, New York-Presbyterian Hospital Community Health Plan

2010

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBAHMS ‘79 (Health System Reform, Internal Medicine, 

Geriatrics)

President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

2011

Paula A. Johnson, MDMPH, HMS ‘85 (Cardiology, Women’s Health & Gender Biology, 

Public Health)

Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology

2012

JudyAnn Bigby, MDHMS ‘78 (Internal Medicine)

Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow, Harvard School of Public Health; Former Secretary of Health and Human Services, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

2013

Michael B. Foggs, MD, HMS ‘77 (Allergy Asthma & Immunology)

Chief of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, Advocate Medical Group of Advocate Health Care; President, American College of Allergy Asthma & Immunology

2014

Edward M. Barksdale, Jr., MD, HMS ‘84 (Pediatric Surgery)

Robert J. Izant Jr. Professor and Chief of Pediatric Surgey, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine; Surgeon-in-Chief, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital/University Hospitals

2015

Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, HMS ‘84 (Surgery)

Vice President and Chief of Surgery, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA); Vice Dean of Medical Education, Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, Department of Surgery; The Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California

2016

Raul Ruiz, MD, MPP, MPHHMS ‘01, HKS ‘01, HCS ‘07 (Emergency Medicine, Policy)

Congressman, United States House of Representatives, California, 36th District

2017

Martín-J. Sepúlveda MD, MPH, HMS ‘78 (Informatics)

IBM Fellow; Member, National Academy of Medicine; Chief Executive Officer, Claraluz, LLC

2018

Sierra L. Washington MD, MSc, FACOG, HMS ‘04 (OB/GYN, Reproduction Medicine)

Associate Clinical  Professor, Department of Reproductive Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine; Immediate Past Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer, Planned Parenthood, Pacific Southwest

2019

Valerae O. Lewis, MD, HMS ‘93 (Orthopaedic Oncology)

Professor, Orthopaedic Oncology, Division of Surgery Chair, Orthopaedic Oncology, Division of Surgery; Dr. John Murray Professor in Orthopaedic Oncology; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

2020

Charles R. Bridges, MD, ScD, HMS ’81 (Pharmaceutical Research and Development)

Global Chief Technology Officer, Pulmonary Hypertension Therapeutic Area

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Research and Development, Johnson & Johnson

2021

Felicia L. Collins, MD, MPH, FAAP, HMS ‘

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health

Director, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

2022

Deborah Prothrow-Stith, MD, HMS’79

Dean, College of Medicine

Charles R. Drew University, Los Angeles, California

2023

Valerie Montgomery-Rice, MD, FACOG, HMS ‘87

President and CEO, Morehouse School of Medicine

2024

Yvette Roubideaux, MD, MPH, HMS ‘87

Adjunct Professor, Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy, Colorado School of Public Health

Former Director, Indian Health Services

2025

Selwyn O. Rogers, Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, HMS’91

James E. Bowman Jr. Professor of Surgery;

Chief, Section of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery;

Founding Director, Trauma Center;

Executive Vice President for Community Health Engagement, University of Chicago Medicine