Panel 1 Academic freedom and the ghost of Senator Joseph R McCarthy
Introductory Videos
Session Video
Host
Kevin McGirr


Kevin McGirr
- Host
- United States of America
Kevin McGirr is Clinical Professor in the School of Nursing; has taught in schools of medicine, social work and public health and was a Fulbright Scholar in Pondicherry India, 2013-2014. He has over forty years experience in providing and managing behavioral health services; holds master’s degrees in public health, psychiatric nursing and ABD in public health. He has been involved in the training and development of harm reduction services and in particular utilizing Harm Reduction Tobacco interventions for persons with serious mental illness.
Speaker
Marewa Glover


Marewa Glover
- Speaker
- New Zealand
Professor Marewa Glover has worked on reducing smoking-related harm for over 25 years. She has worked as a policy analyst, a co-ordinator of a national tobacco control programme, cessation trainer and, for over 17 years, as a researcher. She has chaired numerous committees and organisations including End Smoking NZ, an independent NGO that lobbied for a harm reduction approach even before electronic cigarettes were introduced. Marewa has over 100 publications reflecting her leadership and support of numerous studies. Her primary focus has been reducing smoking during pregnancy and reducing smoking among Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. She has also been a co-investigator on a number of innovative cessation projects and a longitudinal online survey of New Zealand vapers. Dr Glover is the most prominent public commentator on vaping in NZ. She is regularly called by the media and has appeared on NZ’s 60 Minutes in addition to participating in live online and conference debates about vaping. Despite an initial ban on the import and sale of nicotine for vaping imposed by the Ministry of Health, vaping has become established as a common and successful way to reduce or stop smoking in NZ. Marewa, along with a small number of other researchers who early on foresaw the potential of ecigs, have helped make this happen.
Speaker
Sree Sucharitha


Sree Sucharitha
- Speaker
- India
Dr. Sree T.Sucharitha, M.D currently Professor in Department of Community Medicine and Research Co-ordinator at Tagore Medical College and Hospital Chennai, India holds Fellowship in HIV Medicine from I-Tech India which is a joint program with collaboration with Tamil Nadu government. She is also Fellow of Asian Human Rights and Drug Policy. Won Best paper awards for presentations at Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR University (2018), IJRULA- Best Research Scientist-Environment Science (2018), Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University (2019). She is the Founding-Director of AHRER-Association for Harm Reduction Education and Research, a first-ever registered medical professionals body in India for increasing the public awareness of harms resulting due to various human behaviours associated with tobacco consumption, narcotics, alcohol, and obesity.
Speaker
Brad Rodu


Brad Rodu
- Speaker
- United States of America
Dr Brad Rodu is a professor of medicine and holds an endowed chair in tobacco harm reduction research at the University of Louisville, Kentucky USA. Since 1994 Rodu has authored 70 medical publications about tobacco, and he blogs at Rodu Tobacco Truth (http://rodutobaccotruth.blogspot.com/).
Speaker
Derek Yach


Derek Yach
- Speaker
- South Africa
Derek Yach MBChB MPH, is a global health expert focused on addressing major chronic diseases, mental health and their underlying risks. He has led major initiatives to address tobacco use, healthy diets, and mental health at the World Health Organization, Yale, PepsiCo, the Vitality Group, and most recently as President and founder of the Foundation for a Smoke Free World. Derek has published over 250 peer reviewed publications. He has served on several advisory boards including those led by the World Economic Forum, Wellcome Trust, NIH's Fogarty Center, and Cornerstone Capital. He currently is a member of APCO's International Advisory Board. He lives in Connecticut, USA and swims most days.