CELEBRATING
50 YEARS
OF POPFAM

Half a Century of Global Change—Rooted in Communities, Driven by Science, Building Leaders

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RESEARCH

INNOVATION

EDUCATION

Message from Dr. Thoai Ngo

chairman
Thoai Ngo, PhD, MHSHarriet and Robert H. Heilbrunn Professor and ChairColumbia University Mailman School of Public Health

This year marks a significant milestone—50 years of the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health (PopFam) at Columbia University.

For half a century, PopFam has been at the forefront of advancing equity, championing human rights, and pursuing justice through public health—from the neighborhoods of New York City to communities around the world.

This anniversary is not just a celebration—it’s a launchpad. We’re unveiling new initiatives to shape the future of science, service, and global impact: alumni and student stories, dynamic events, bold ideas, and the PopFam Future Changemaker Scholarship. In the months ahead, we’ll honor the people, partnerships, and ideas that shaped PopFam—and share the bold vision guiding us toward a more just and healthy future for the 10.3 billion people who will share this planet.

I invite you to explore the stories of our extraordinary alumni and partners—and to see how PopFam faculty and staff have worked hand in hand with communities around the world to reimagine what’s possible in global health and to help transform systems and lives.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

POPFAM FUTURE CHANGEMAKER SCHOLARSHIP

To celebrate 50 years of building bold and impactful leaders, we are proud to launch the PopFam Future Changemaker Scholarship.


Through the Chair’s Initiative, we will award scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 with a total of $50,000 per academic year. These awards will support exceptional PopFam students who demonstrate a deep commitment to underserved communities, strong academic performance, meaningful experience, and financial need.


We invite you—our alumni, partners, and friends—to help us grow this effort by sponsoring a scholarship or supporting future cohorts. Together, we can broaden our impact and invest in the next generation of public health leaders—in New York City, across the U.S., and around the world.

Please contribute to the next generation of changemakers.

PopFam Chairs 1975 to Present

CONVERSATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

As part of our 50th anniversary celebration, PopFam has launched PopTalks - a bold new conversation series hosted by Dr. Thoai Ngo, PopFam Chair. PopTalks brings together leading experts and community voices to spark dialogue around the transformative forces shaping population health and well-being—including climate change, artificial intelligence, demographic shifts, and political conflict. 

We’ll also be hosting special events throughout the year to mark this milestone. Stay tuned—there’s more to come.