This event will be an opportunity for students graduating with the Certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine to celebrate their accomplishments and to engage in casual dialogue with Dr. Anantha Shekhar. Graduating CFM students will have an opportunity to pose their own questions to Dr. Shekhar on the current trends in healthcare and health research in the US. Dr. Shekhar serves as senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

He is a nationally recognized educator, researcher, administrator and entrepreneur with major contributions in medicine and life sciences. At Pitt, Dr. Shekhar leads the Schools of Dental Medicine, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health, which have driven education and research in their respective fields for more than a century, propelling scientific discoveries and clinical innovation that advance human health on an international scale. An accomplished neuroscientist, Dr. Shekhar led seminal research studies identifying novel treatments for schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders, and founded multiple biotech companies to develop these therapies for patient use.

Dr. Shekhar is a tenured member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation; and board member of the Clinical Research Forum in Washington D.C., which convenes leaders at the highest levels in academia, government, and industry to address challenges and opportunities in clinical research. He also serves on the Board of Directors at UPMC and UPMC’s Children’s, Magee-Womens, Presbyterian, and Shadyside Hospitals. Dr. Shekhar, who was born in India, earned his medical degree at St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, and his PhD in neuroscience at Indiana University. We look forward to an engaging discussion with Dr. Shekhar and CFM students!