Vilma Gawryszewski

“Work in Global Health is challenging, requires resilience, patience, and strong ethical grounding. Evidence alone is not enough — collaboration and persistence are essential. On the other hand, the rewards are profound. Few fields offer the opportunity to improve lives at a population level and contribute to lasting health and social changes.”

Country of birth: Brazil

Country of residence: Brazil

Areas of expertise within Global Health: Epidemiology, health statistics, scientific writing

Education: MD, PhD in Public Health, Epidemiology, MSc

Professional experience:

2011-2022 Advisor, Health Information and Analysis. World Health Organization (WHO)/ Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Washington, DC, USA.

2009-2011 Director of Non-communicable Diseases and Injury Prevention Unit, State Health Department. S. Paulo, Brazil.

2008 Regional Data Coordinator for the Global Status Report on Road Safety. WHO/PAHO. Washington, DC, USA.

2005-2007 Advisor for Non-communicable Diseases and Injury Prevention, State Health Department. S. Paulo, Brazil.

2003-2005 Coordinator of the Epidemic Intelligence and Field Investigation Program, State Health Department of S. Paulo, Brazil

Languages: Portuguese, English and Spanish

Countries in which Mentor has worked: Brazil and the United States

Why do you want to be a Mentor?

I believe mentorship is one of the most meaningful ways to strengthen the future of the public health field. It is also a way to give back to the field that defined my life, sharing knowledge, perspective, and ethical commitment.

I hope to contribute to building a thoughtful, ethically and scientifically grounded workforce capable of addressing the complex health challenges of our time.