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An expert in parasitic and tropical diseases from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Richards has worked extensively in Latin America and Africa. He directs the river blindness program and the Center's schistosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis in Nigeria. He also supervises the Center's new malaria control initiative in Ethiopia.  Dr. Richards holds faculty appointments at the Emory Rollins School of Public Health (Global Health), the Emory School of Medicine, and Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, and is on staff at two Atlanta hospitals--Grady Memorial and Egleston Children's Hospital.

Dr. Richards' career has focused on issues of global health, most of them dedicated to disease control and eradication in the Americas and Africa. He worked on schistosomiasis control in Egypt, Guinea worm eradication in Cameroon, lymphatic filariasis in Haiti and Nigeria, and malaria control in Guatemala. Dr. Richards' particular expertise is in onchocerciasis (river blindness) and the delivery of Mectizan® tablets (donated by Merck & Co.) through mass drug administration programs. He has been involved in the Guatemalan Mectizan distribution program since 1987 and in the Nigerian Mectizan distribution program since 1992. He participated in the launching and operations of two major regional river blindness programs: The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (launched in 1992), which reaches six countries in the Americas, and the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (launched in 1996) reaching 18 countries in Africa.

Dr. Richards' awards include the Williams College Bicentennial Medal in recognition of contributions to global public health, the Commissioned Corps Outstanding Service Medal for contributions to the battle against river blindness, the Department of Health and Human Service Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service for the Guinea worm eradication effort, and most recently the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's 2005 Bailey K. Ashford Medal. Dr. Richards has authored or coauthored more than 90 articles, letters, and chapters.

Dr. Richards earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Williams College in 1975 and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Cornell University in 1979. After completing a residency in pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, he joined the CDC and was assigned to the Division of Parasitic Diseases where he remained for his entire 22-year CDC career. During that time, he was assigned to the CDC Guatemala field station (1987-92), completed a fellowship in infectious diseases at Emory (1993), and was seconded to The Carter Center (1996-2002). Dr. Richards reached the rank of captain in the Commissioned Corps. He is an associate clinical professor of pediatric infectious diseases at Emory University's School of Medicine and an assistant professor of global health at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health.

Learn more about Dr. Richards in this National Public Radio feature.

Read A Doctor's Lifelong Commitment to Fight Diseases (PDF)