Born and raised in the United States and of Haitian descent, Dr. Gilbert Saint Jean Jr works on global health and development issues.
Interests include using an interdisciplinary perspective to solve real world problems.
As a Ph.D. student at the University of Notre Dame (USA), Dr. Saint Jean was a National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored GLOBES (Global Linkages of Biology, the Environment, and Society) Fellow. Interdisciplinary graduate education training in environmental and human health is the objective of the GLOBES program. One highlight of this experience for Dr. Saint Jean, is a lead author peer-reviewed publication reporting on the application of species discriminating genetic markers for identifying immature cherry pests found near a commercial apple orchard in Washington State. Apples are a major commercial crop in Washington State worth billions of dollars for its economy. Dr. Saint Jean’s work to identify the cherry pests saved local authorities at least an estimated half a million dollars in unnecessary quarantine measures.
Currently in global health and development, Dr. Saint Jean is the principal investigator for a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded project that engages the Haitian Diaspora in eliminating the neglected tropical disease lymphatic filariasis/elephantiasis and iodine deficiency disorder from Haiti. A brief summary of this project can be read at the following website:
http://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/grant/migr-s-remittance-ntd-mda-and-iodine-deficiency-elimination
This project is in support of Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP; French acronym) national programs to eliminate lymphatic filariasis and iodine deficiency disorder. He has made valuable contributions to this effort which includes partners such as the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This along with other projects is what Dr. Saint Jean works on.
Outside of work, simply put, Dr. Saint Jean is a friend and loves to travel.