Commencement 2008
Commencement Speaker
[ commencement speaker | commencement information | commencement photos ]
Saturday, May 10, 2008, Center for the Arts, 1:00 p.m.
Dr. Germaine M. Louis
Dr. Germaine M. Buck Louis is currently a Senior Investigator and Chief of the Epidemiology Branch and Acting Director, Division of Epidemiology, Statistics & Prevention Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, at the National Institutes of Health. Prior to joining NIH in 2000, Dr. Louis was a tenured professor for 13 years in the Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State of New York. During her UB tenure, Dr. Louis taught in both the University's graduate and medical undergraduate divisions, and served as a mentor for several graduate, medical, and nursing students.
As a faculty member, Dr. Louis was actively involved in serving the University, School, and Department including providing professional service to the Faculty Senate, Faculty Council, and numerous ad hoc and standing committees. She also was committed to community outreach including serving on the boards and task forces of organizations whose goals were to reduce perinatal and infant mortality or to improve children's health. Dr. Louis has been an active member of several professional societies including her service as Secretary then President of the Society for Perinatal & Pediatric Research and Board Member for the American College of Epidemiology and the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology. She has served on numerous advisory boards and expert panels for The National Academies, U.S. EPA, National Toxicology Program, Pan American Health Organization, and World Health Organization.
Dr. Louis' research interests primarily focus on the interplay between environmental exposures, behavior, and human reproduction and development. She has conducted several studies focusing on the effect of environmental chemicals on male and female reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes. Recently, Dr. Louis is engaged in research focusing on the effect of exposures around conception or during early pregnancy and their subsequent effect on adult fertility and health status.
Dr. Louis has been the recipient of several awards in recognition of her research and commitment to reproductive and perinatal epidemiology. She was awarded the Abraham Lilienfeld Award by the Society for Epidemiologic Research in recognition of her outstanding dissertation research and was the first UB student to receive this award. She has received awards from the National Institutes of Health in recognition of her service to her profession and in the mentoring of fellows.
Dr. Louis' entire academic training was completed at UB having earned her undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees from the University in 1975, 1980, and 1987 respectively.
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