Tulane researcher honored for career in public health

A Tulane researcher is being recognized for decades of work in public health across the globe. The Population Association of America will honor Jane Bertrand at its conference this spring. Bertrand is the Neal A. and Mary Vanselow Professor in the Department of Global Health Management and Policy at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Spanning four decades, Bertrand’s career has focused on multiple aspects of international family planning and reproductive health, including program design and evaluation, field-level service delivery, operations research, behavior change communication and advocacy. She began her work in Latin America, later expanding to sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was known as Zaire at the time. In both contexts Bertrand’s research has made an indelible mark on the field of family planning and reproductive health, and has advanced the wellbeing of women and men by providing a better understanding of how to increase access and quality of these services.

“Jane’s values, determination, and skill set are extraordinarily well-suited to address some of the most dire and complex problems facing some of the most vulnerable sub-populations within the poorest countries in the world,” wrote Bertrand’s colleagues in their essay to nominate her for recognition. “We cherish this opportunity to honor her as a mentor, friend, and leader in our field.”

The Population Association of America is a nonprofit, scientific, professional organization established to promote the improvement, advancement and progress of the human race through research of problems related to human population. The association’s Honored Colleague program is an initiative that allows PAA members to both support the professional and academic organization and honor a distinguished colleague at the same time.