Indiana University has named Kim A. Lindblade, PhD, MPH, FASTMH, director of research for the IU Center for Global Health and co-director of research for the AMPATH Kenya Research Program.
In her new role, Dr. Lindblade will work with IU, Kenyan and international partners to guide the strategic direction of global health research within the university and the AMPATH partnership.
“My career has been shaped by a commitment to scientific excellence, equitable partnerships and strategic leadership,” Dr. Lindblade said. “The AMPATH partnership’s commitment to collaborative research that results in tangible benefits to the affected communities is an inspiration, and I feel honored to join this consortium.”
AMPATH Kenya is a long-standing partnership between IU, Moi University, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and the AMPATH Consortium of academic health centers around the world. Together the partners support clinical care, training and research across western Kenya as well as newer partnerships in Ghana, Mexico and Nepal. Key pillars of the partnership include leading with care, building long-term relationships and ensuring infrastructure and human resource sustainability.
Dr. Lindblade brings more than 25 years of experience working in resource-limited settings. Her work has focused on researching and implementing strategies to control and eliminate infectious diseases, particularly malaria, while strengthening public health institutions and research partnerships.
Most recently, Dr. Lindblade served as technical director for the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Insights Project and senior technical advisor for the Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Program at PATH.
“In this role, I supported multiple research institutions in Africa to design, implement, analyze and report operational research studies aligned with national and global malaria priorities,” Dr. Lindblade said. Her experience with PMI Insights strengthened her skills in cross-institutional coordination, research governance and high-impact evidence generation. “I look forward to contributing to Indiana University’s global health mission and supporting collaborative research efforts in Kenya and other lower resource settings,” she continued.
While her primary role will be fulfilling the global health research director roles, Dr. Lindblade will also be a research professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the IU School of Medicine. Additionally, she will serve as a faculty member in the Department of Medicine and adjunct professor at the Fairbanks School of Public Health where she will also be an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Community and Global Health. She will join IU on April 1.
“Dr. Lindblade is internationally recognized for her work in malaria epidemiology and diagnostics. Her leadership positions in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and PATH make her exceptionally well qualified to be the research director for the Center for Global Health,” said Chandy C. John, MD, Ryan White Professor of Pediatrics and a distinguished professor at IU. “I am thrilled that we were able to recruit her to this position and look forward to the many different ways in which she’ll expand and improve the already outstanding global health research led by the IU Center for Global Health.”
Dr. Lindblade spent more than two decades with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, holding leadership roles across multiple continents. While chief of the malaria epidemiology branch in Kisumu, Kenya, she led field studies on the long-term effectiveness of insecticide-treated bednets and conducted some of the earliest evaluations of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets.
Her work on disease elimination also extended to Guatemala, where she led efforts to evaluate the elimination of onchocerciasis for the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas. She has also played key roles in global health security and outbreak response, including serving as CDC influenza program director in Thailand and chief of the international emerging infections program in Central America. During those roles she helped lead responses to regional outbreaks including the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and supported CDC response efforts during the 2014–2015 West African Ebola epidemic.
From 2017 to 2022 Dr. Lindblade served at the World Health Organization as head of the elimination unit within the Global Malaria Programme. During that time, she led the E-2020 and E-2025 initiatives, a period that resulted in six countries achieving malaria-free certification.
“My interest is in co-developing research programs that are responsive to national priorities and embedded in long-term capacity-building efforts,” Dr. Lindblade said. “I have also focused on strengthening research infrastructure and mentoring early-career investigators across varied cultural contexts.”
“I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to work alongside Professor Winstone Nyandiko, Kenyan co-director of research, to support the AMPATH Kenya research community and guide its strategic direction,” she said. “I am equally excited about the potential to expand the IU Center for Global Health’s broader network, including the AMPATH partnerships in Ghana, Mexico and Nepal.”
Adrian Gardner, MD, MPH, executive director of the AMPATH Consortium and director of the IU Center for Global Health, said Dr. Lindblade’s leadership and experience will strengthen AMPATH’s research enterprise.
“Dr. Lindblade brings extraordinary experience in global health research and international collaboration,” Dr. Gardner said. “Her commitment to mentorship, partnership and scientific rigor will help guide the next phase of AMPATH’s and IU’s global health research mission."
Dr. Lindblade said that strong partnerships and evidence-driven programs are more important than ever. “We are entering a profoundly challenging era for global health marked by unprecedented funding constraints and shifting global priorities,” Dr. Lindblade said. “High-quality research remains indispensable, not only for identifying the most effective and cost-effective interventions, but also for identifying efficiencies to maximize the impact of every dollar invested. The IU Center for Global Health and the AMPATH partnership are uniquely structured to play an important role in finding the way forward."
Dr. Lindblade examining Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes, a species that first invaded Africa in 2011, at Dire Dawa University, Ethiopia.
