Saad B. Omer, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., Ph.D., joined UT Southwestern Medical Center last year as the founding Dean of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health. Under his leadership, the School admitted its first class of master’s students in the fall, propelled by the O’Donnell Foundation’s $100 million gift in 2022 to name the School.

An expert in using evidence-based approaches to tackle community health problems and ensure everyone has a fair chance at being healthy, Dr. Omer previously led Yale University’s Institute for Global Health. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and received his master’s and Ph.D. in public health from the first U.S. school of public health at Johns Hopkins University.

How is philanthropy emboldening the O’Donnell School of Public Health’s mission?

Public health is about impact. That’s why UT Southwestern is focused on outcomes. Our community partners understand our commitment to scientific evidence informs better clinical recommendations and public health policy that ultimately improves lives. Strong initial investment gives us an opportunity to pursue a bold vision and take advantage of strategic opportunities immediately – hiring preeminent scientists to join our faculty and recruiting a talented inaugural class. Today’s investments are setting our trajectory for the next 50 years. Because of philanthropy, we have unmatched momentum.

What makes UT Southwestern’s approach to public health unique?

Texas deserves a top-tier school of public health. If you look at the nation’s top 10 public health schools, our closest neighbors are in Atlanta to the east; Ann Arbor, Michigan, to the north; and Los Angeles to the west. Dallas has the diversity and industry to join that elite group. Strong partnerships like those with Dallas County, Parkland Health, Children’s Health, and the Department of Veterans Affairs – as well as our own population data – create opportunities for world-class research. And the extraordinary support of the O’Donnell Foundation, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Dr. Richard Hoffman, and the Texas Legislature give us a strong foundation to deliver.

What inspired you to pursue a career in public health?

I’ve been working in public health since the age of 19, and it’s one of the most gratifying fields. The work we do makes a difference. For example, in cities across the nation, seat belt laws that were developed based on public health research have saved hundreds of thousands of lives since the 1960s. And campaigns to reduce infections in newborns have increased life expectancy across communities. According to the Trust for America’s Health, for every dollar invested in public health in the U.S., we save more than five times that amount in health care costs, giving people healthier lives and more time with the ones they love.

As we get older, we often look for meaning in our lives. I used to joke that I went into public health to avoid a midlife crisis, because there’s no shortage of meaning in the work we do. Our research and advocacy for beneficial public policy help people at tremendous scale. It’s incredibly rewarding.

• Dr. Omer holds the Lyda Hill Deanship of the School of Public Health.