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An international Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between the University of Memphis School of Public Health and the College of Public Health and Health Informatics at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (CPHHI-KSAU-HS) in Saudi Arabia. This agreement establishes a first-of-its-kind collaborative center: the “Center for Population Health Interventions and Outcomes”.

Leadership

The administrative core of the Center is led by Dr. Ashish Joshi, Dean and Distinguished University Professor of the University of Memphis School of Public Health, and Dr. Fatmah Othman, Dean of the College of Public Health and Health Informatics at KSAU-HS, Saudi Arabia. Together, they have laid out the strategic vision for the Center and developed an implementation plan to build an innovative, state-of-the-art educational partnership and a hub that will advance health and well-being for all.

For UofM SPH
Dr. Ashish Joshi, PhD, MBBS, MPH
Dean of School of Public Health
3825 Desoto Ave, Memphis, TN 38152
sphdean@memphis.edu For CPHHI, KSAU-HS
Dr. Fatmah Othman, PhD, MBBS, MSc
Dean of College of Public Health & Health Informatics
King AbdulAziz Medical City, P.O. Box 22490
Riyadh 11426 Internal Mail Code 2350
CPHHI@ksau-hs.edu.sa

Dr. Ashraf and Dean Joshi Standing Left to right: Dr. Ashish Joshi, SPH Dean and Professor Ashraf Elmetwally, CPHHI, KSAU-HS

Collaborative Pillers

Academic Core
The Collaborative Center will focus on integrating academic program offerings from the University of Memphis School of Public Health into the academic programs at CPHHI KSAU-HS. Areas of interest include a graduate certificate in Population Health Informatics, an undergraduate program in Public Health, and collaborative initiatives around PhD programs.
Research Core
The collaboration between the University of Memphis School of Public Health and the College of Public Health and Health Informatics at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (CPHHI KSAU-HS) identifies several key focus areas, including chronic diseases—particularly cardiometabolic conditions—youth well-being, environmental and climate health, health economics, and digital health interventions. The research core of the Center will foster opportunities to submit joint proposals to funding agencies, publish collaborative research, and present findings at national and international conferences. Additionally, the partnership will initiate support for pilot projects through collaborative seed funding, enabling researchers to develop competitive grant proposals.
Faculty and Student Exchange
The collaboration will provide opportunities for faculty from both institutions to offer guest lectures at each other's schools and engage in adjunct teaching. Students will benefit from experiential learning opportunities, including collaborative virtual presentations of their capstone projects.

RE-AIM Public Health Clubs

CPPHI agrees to collaborate on the University of Memphis School of Public Health’s high school initiative, "REAIM Public Health IDEAS through the Lens of the Youth," as a model for advancing public health education in high schools. Through this initiative, CPHHI will engage high school students in interdisciplinary public health education, including participation in a certificate program and involvement in public health-focused hackathons organized as part of the initiative.

Dr. Jasbir Dhaliwal Vice President of Research (center), Professor Ashraf Elmetwally, Professor of Epidemiology, CPHHI, KSAU-HS (on right), and Dr. Ashish Joshi

Photo: Dr. Jasbir Dhaliwal Vice President of Research (center), Professor Ashraf Elmetwally, Professor of Epidemiology, CPHHI, KSAU-HS (on right), and Dr. Ashish Joshi, SPH Dean and Distinguished University Professor (on left).

Dr. David Russomanno, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Ashraf Elmetwally, CPHHI, KSAU-HS, and Dr. Ashish Joshi,

Photo (right to left): Dr. David Russomanno, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Ashraf Elmetwally, Professor of Epidemiology, CPHHI, KSAU-HS, and Dr. Ashish Joshi, SPH Dean and Distinguished University Professor.

Left to right: Dr. Satish Kedia, SPH, Dr. Ashish Joshi, SPH Dean and Distinguished University Professor, Professor Ashraf Elmetwally, CPHHI, KSAU-HS, Dr. Marian Levy, SPH, and Dr. Ilias Kavouras, SPH.

Left to right: Dr. Asma Ali, SPH, Dr. Maryam Karimi, SPH, Professor Ashraf Elmetwally, CPHHI, KSAU-HS, and Dr. Alex Parkhouse, SPH.

Events

Guest speaker series

Each semester, presentations by faculty from both institutions will be organized to highlight key research areas and foster collaborative opportunities. Faculty members from both schools will share overviews of their research projects and present findings to promote knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary engagement.