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Michael Osterholm elected member of Council on Foreign Relations

Aug 26, 2009 – CIDRAP Director Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, has been elected to membership of the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

The CFR is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to promoting the understanding of foreign policy and the United States' role in the world. It maintains a diverse membership of prominent thinkers who debate major issues with senior government officials, members of Congress, and global leaders. Council membership is divided almost evenly among New York, Washington, and other locations around the world.

Throughout the council's 88-year history, secretaries of state, former national security officers, bankers, lawyers, professors, former CIA members, and senior media figures have been honored with membership.

Osterholm, who is internationally recognized as an expert on infectious diseases, pandemic preparedness, food safety, and biosecurity, was nominated by a group of prominent public policy and foreign relations leaders and elected by the council's membership.

"I'm extremely honored to be elected to the council's membership and look forward to continuing our work to limit the global impact of infectious diseases" Osterholm said.

Osterholm has written more than 300 papers and abstracts, many focusing on the epidemiology of infectious diseases. He wrote two invited articles for Foreign Affairs, the preeminent journal on international affairs and US foreign policy published by the CFR.

The first, "Preparing for the Next Pandemic," was published in 2005 and highlighted the changes that have occurred over the past several decades in the preparation for a pandemic. The second, published in 2007, "Unprepared for a Pandemic," refocused leaders' attention to global pandemics and potential responses for future outbreaks. These articles further established Osterholm as an international leading thinker on pandemic issues.

Osterholm, who also was elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences in 2004, is the first University of Minnesota professor to be elected to both prestigious national organizations.

The IOM was established to serve as an adviser to the nation to improve health and provide advice on issues relating to biomedical science, medicine, and health. Members of the IOM are elected on the basis of their professional achievement and commitment to service.

"The prestige of this important appointment reflects Dr. Osterholm's international leadership on infectious disease research, prevention, and policy," said University of Minnesota President Robert H. Bruininks.

"In the global economy, fast-spreading diseases are accelerated by rapid travel across international borders. Bioterrorism and food safety are also increasingly important issues. As a result, Dr. Osterholm's expertise and experience will be invaluable to the Council on Foreign Relations. We are proud to have a faculty member recognized in this way—I believe it speaks to the quality and strength of all of the University's research and public health programs."