Prof. Yanis Ben Amor
Executive Director, Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), Columbia University
Yanis Ben Amor is an associate research scientist and Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Development (CSD). Dr. Ben Amor is also the Director of the Tropical Laboratory Initiative and is currently investigating the critical role of new diagnostics in the control of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in developing countries.
Dr. Ben Amor is responsible for the successful implementation of laboratories within the Millennium Villages (either at the health facility level or the district hospital level). His tuberculosis-related research is focused on finding ways to improve the diagnosis of tuberculosis in developing countries and decrease patients lost to follow up during treatment. His HIV/AIDS related research revolves around the optimum time for HIV retesting during pregnancy for early diagnosis of seroconversion. Dr. Ben Amor analyzes new, rapid diagnostic tools being investigated and develops ways to allow their implementation in resource-poor settings, where electricity and clean water can be limiting factors. As part of his work with the Millennium Villages Project, Yanis is also developing a point-of-care diagnostic toolkit for community health workers based on existing tests to diagnose diseases such as malaria, syphilis and HIV infection. This toolkit will be appropriate for each site of the project based on the level of education and intervention of CHWs as well as the immediate needs in terms of infectious disease control and nutrition.
Dr. Ben Amor has close to a decade of research experience in tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS all over the world. He was involved in many projects conducting research on new diagnostic tests for tuberculosis as well as improving quality of care and access to tuberculosis treatment for patients in developing countries and has previously worked for several organizations such as the Pasteur Institute (Paris, France) and the Public Health Research Institute (Newark, New Jersey). Dr. Ben Amor has a PhD in Molecular Biology, and a Masters in the same discipline from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Rennes (Rennes, France). He has published widely in the areas of tuberculosis diagnosis, global health, and prevention. He is also regularly a speaker on behalf of Columbia University and the Earth Institute at various conferences worldwide.
Dr. Ozge Karadag
Research Scholar, Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), Columbia University
Dr. Ozge Karadag works as a public health researcher at the Center for Sustainable Development of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. She also holds an associate professor of public health title in Turkey with over 12 years of research and teaching experience in different higher education settings. Dr. Karadag earned her medical degree at Istanbul University, and her MSc and PhD Degrees in Public Health at Hacettepe University in Turkey. She also holds a postgrad degree in health promotion from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Dr. Karadag has more than 15 years of experience working in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams to conduct research, develop public health policies and programs for different vulnerable/disadvantaged groups, such as young people, refugee/migrant populations, people living with HIV, and persons with mental or physical disabilities. She has worked as a consultant for numerous UN organizations, European Commission in addition to different governmental and non-governmental organizations. Her main research interests are vulnerable/ disadvantaged populations and health inequalities, health promotion and education, migrant/refugee health, community mental health, stigma and discrimination, community participation and sustainable development.
Her current work focuses on research, advocacy and training activities regarding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the most vulnerable populations including migrants and refugees and how to use innovative outreach approaches and digital technologies to increase vulnerable and stigmatized groups’ access to health information and health care during the pandemic.
Ms. Emma Torres
VP of the Americas & Head of New York Office, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
Emma Torres enjoys a long experience in the United Nations, with increasing level of responsibilities involving management, strategic programme development and negotiations to promote sustainable development initiatives globally and regionally, and more recently as Senior Adviser on Sustainability at the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP.
She coordinated a strategic initiative Latin America and the Caribbean: A Biodiversity SuperPower, which makes the case of biodiversity importance for development, equity and long- term competitiveness of the region The report and policy brief were launched at the IberoAmerican Summit of Heads of State in December 2010.
As Deputy Executive Coordinator, UNDP/GEF- a partnership among the UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the financial mechanism of the main UN Global Environment Conventions-she was responsible for managing a team of over 60 professionals and a over $1Billion portfolio. She advanced numerous initiatives to support a regional agenda on sustainable development as Director of the Regional Programme for Latin America and Caribbean.
As UNDP coordinator for the Commission on Development and Environment for Latin America and the Caribbean she produced “Our Own Agenda”, and “Amazonia without Myths”. Both remain a point of reference in the field. UNDP and the Inter-American Development Bank sponsored the Commission.
She is a Member of the Independent Advisory Group on Sustainability, InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) appointed by the President of IDB. And currently serves as Chair of the Standing Advisory Group on Technical Assistance and Cooperation (SAGTAC) to the Executive Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). She is member of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) on Sustainable Cities and Forests, Oceans and Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. And Co- Chair of the SDSN Amazonia.
Ms. Torres holds an MA, Economics, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; a Diploma on Language and French Civilization, Sorbonne, Paris; Certificates in Environmental Economics and Climate Change, IIED, Harvard University.
Ms. Lauren Barredo
Chief of Staff, New York Office, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
Lauren Barredo is Chief of Staff, New York Office for the SDSN, where she manages relationships with institutions, companies, and individuals, finding new ways to collaborate on SDG implementation. In addition, she manages three Thematic Networks (Health, Agriculture, and Extractive and Land Resources) as well as three Regional Networks (Amazon, Australia Pacific, and Caribbean). From 2010 to the SDSN’s founding in 2012 she worked as a Special Assistant to Jeffrey D. Sachs at The Earth Institute, Columbia University. Lauren also held positions at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and the Yale University Herbarium. She holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and two Bachelor’s Degrees from American University.
Mr. Guillaume Lafortune
Director, Paris Office, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
Guillaume Lafortune took up his duties as Director of SDSN Paris in January 2021. He joined SDSN in 2017 to coordinate the production of the Sustainable Development Report and other projects on SDG data and statistics.
Previously, he served as an economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) working on public governance reforms and statistics. He was one of the lead advisors for the production of the 2015 and 2017 flagship statistical report Government at a Glance. He also contributed to analytical work related to public sector efficiency, open government data and citizens’ satisfaction with public services. Earlier, Guillaume worked as an economist at the Ministry of Economic Development in the Government of Quebec (Canada).
Guillaume holds a M.Sc in public administration from the National School of Public Administration (ENAP) in Montreal and a B.Sc in international economics from the University of Montreal.
Ms. Juliana Bartels Special Assistant to the Director, Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), Columbia University
Juliana Bartels serves as Special Assistant to the Director at the Center for Sustainable Development. In the Director's Office, Juliana provides research, writing, and editorial support to Professor Jeffrey Sachs, in addition to managing various media and communications channels.
Juliana has conducted field research in Jordan and India regarding environmental education and the use of folk media for community awareness and grassroots health and environmental movements.
Juliana holds a B.A. in Sustainable Development from Columbia University with concentrations in Anthropology and Women's and Gender Studies.
Ms. Neena Joshi
Consultant, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
Neena Joshi serves as a consultant on the Lancet COVID-19 Commission where she supports the Global Health Diplomacy and Cooperation, Green Recovery and Fiscal Policy and Financial Markets Task Forces. She provides research, writing, and editorial support to the Global Health Diplomacy and Cooperation and Green Recovery Task Forces and the Lancet COVID-19 Commission as a whole.
Neena has conducted field research in India on adolescent health education and their access to quality health care services. For her Masters capstone work, she implemented and evaluated a comprehensive health education program for adolescent boys in Mumbai, India. Since graduating, she has conducted research on The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria policy to help guide donors and national HIV programs as countries move away from donor aid and towards domestic financing and sustainability. Currently, along with supporting the Lancet COVID-19 Commission, she is also a research consultant at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Center for Vulnerable Populations where she supports various projects with data analysis and report writing. These projects are primarily focused on overdose prevention among individuals who use opioids and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medication for opioid use disorder clinics.
Neena holds a Masters of Science in Global Health Sciences from UCSF and a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.