Fernandez Elected to Global Implementation Society Board of Directors

Published: July 7, 2022

María E. Fernández, PhD, the Lorne Bain Distinguished Professorship in Public Health and Director of Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, was recently elected to the Global Implementation Society (GIS) Board of Directors, joining an esteemed cohort of internationally recognized leaders in implementation science. The GIS promotes research, effective implementation, and scaling practices to a global audience of researchers and practitioners.

“I am pleased to be nominated to this influential board,” said Fernandez. “This is an exciting time to be involved in global implementation science, and I look forward to working with GIS directors to lead the way in creating a common language and plan for advancing global implementation.” 

Implementation Science includes the study of methods and strategies to implement evidence-based research into practice. It is a rapidly emerging field devoted to accelerating and improving the use of innovations in the real-world. GIS was formed in response to a need to link the global efforts of researchers, practitioners, and organizations in this emerging field. As part of the Board of Directors, Fernández will help guide GIS’s ongoing work to support the field internationally.

Global Implementation Science is also a key focus for the new UTHealth Houston Institute for Implementation Science, which is co-directed by Fernández and Bijal Balasubramanian, MBBS, PhD.

“We continue to see incredible interest for UTHealth’s implementation science expertise on a global scale,” said Balasubramanian. “Dr. Fernández’s election to GIS is a profound recognition of her leadership and the potential reach for our Institute.”

To learn more about GIS visit their website.