Health Programs

Trachoma Control Program
 
Paul Emerson, Ph.D., Director, Trachoma Control Program

Dr. Emerson joined The Carter Center as director for the Trachoma Control Program in November 2004. He has spent nearly a decade devoted to operational research and program evaluation in support of the global effort to control trachoma.

Before joining The Carter Center, Dr. Emerson was a research fellow at the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom. There he was the principal investigator for evaluations of Helen Keller International and World Vision trachoma control programs in Morocco, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nepal, Vietnam, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, in addition to leading operational research in The Gambia and lecturing.

Previously, as principal investigator, Dr. Emerson led the United Kingdom Medical Research Council in The Gambia in conducting the first rigorous study establishing the importance of flies in trachoma transmission and the impact of latrines on trachoma control. He also has led a project to write a practical toolbox for trachoma program managers to implement the 'F' and 'E' components of the SAFE strategy for trachoma control: Surgery; Antibiotic treatment; Facial cleanliness/hygiene promotion; and Environmental improvement.

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Jonathan King, M.S.P.H., Epidemiologist, Trachoma Control Program

As program epidemiologist, Mr. King provides scientific support to the Center's trachoma program.

Mr. King comes to The Carter Center with seven years of applied public health experience from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mr. King worked with the Parasitic Diseases Branch where he focused efforts on the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in the Pacific. Through CDC and the International Trachoma Initiative, he helped research integration between the global programs to eliminate lymphatic filariasis and blinding trachoma. In addition, Mr. King served as resident epidemiologist for the American Samoa Department of Health.

He is a graduate of the Public Health Prevention Service, a three year training program of CDC. During the program, he completed assignments with the Division of International Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases, and a two year field assignment with the Hillsborough County Health Department in Tampa, Fl. He received the 2002 PHPS Award for Distinguished Service and Achievement.

Mr. King completed his undergraduate studies in Applied Biology at Georgia Institute of Technology and obtained a Master of Science in Public Health in epidemiology from Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.

Lisa Rotondo, M.P.H., Assistant Director, Trachoma Control Program
 
As assistant director, Ms. Rotondo frequently visits the Center's seven trachoma control programs to assess, plan, and strategize with Carter Center and ministry of health staff. She is responsible for the regular monitoring and evaluation of program activities and materials, and actively supports long-term program planning. Ms. Rotondo also works on the development and implementation of trachoma health education programs. She interacts with donors and partners, supports the management of program grants, and represents the Center's trachoma control program at international and regional meetings and conferences.
 
From 2003 to 2004, Ms. Rotondo served as the Center's technical adviser to Burkina Faso's Guinea Worm Eradication Program, helping reduce cases of Guinea worm disease by 78 percent over a one-year period. Prior to joining The Carter Center, Ms. Rotondo served as a U.S. Peace Corps community health development volunteer in Burkina Faso.
 
Ms. Rotondo earned a bachelor's degree in health sciences and psychology from Kalamazoo College and a Master of Public Health degree from Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Ms. Rotondo was a 2000 recipient of the Hubert Transcultural Grant which supported qualitative research in Senegal. 


Elizabeth Cromwell, Program Development Coordinator, Trachoma Control Program
 
Ms. Cromwell supports the trachoma program by acting as a liaison between program staff, field offices, and consultants. She maintains and updates the trachoma program files, including an electronic library of research papers, field reports, and health education materials. In addition, she compiles monthly data and narrative reports from the program's field offices. Ms. Cromwell is also responsible for the coordination of program-sponsored meetings and events.
 
Before coming to The Carter Center, Ms. Cromwell served as a community health volunteer in Niger for the U.S. Peace Corps from 2003 to 2005.
 
Ms. Cromwell earned a bachelor's degree in international studies from DePaul University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree from Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.