The University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI) has selected the University of California, Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health as its new administrative home. This move, announced September 14, 2026, aims to reinforce UC Irvine’s role in public health leadership and strengthen research, education, and strategic partnerships that benefit communities both in California and globally.
UCGHI, founded in 2008, serves as a systemwide hub for global health collaboration across all ten UC campuses. The organization is dedicated to advancing health equity through its focus on research, education, training, and partnerships. Its mission addresses pressing global issues such as widening health disparities, climate-related health threats, and shortages in the health workforce.
Bernadette Boden-Albala, founding dean of Wen Public Health and a UCGHI Advisory Council member since 2021, expressed pride in UCI’s selection. She noted that the transition reinforces UCI’s commitment to advancing health equity, fostering innovation, and strengthening partnerships. Boden-Albala also highlighted that contemporary health challenges necessitate collaboration that extends "across disciplines, institutions and geographic boundaries."
Dr. Madhavi Dandu, who has led UCGHI as its director since 2022, stated that the institute began with a vision acknowledging that "no single institution can solve today’s complex health challenges alone." Dr. Dandu, a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco, emphasized that UCGHI’s strength is derived from bringing together the expertise, creativity, and commitment of individuals across all UC campuses and their international partners.
UC Irvine faculty have played a significant role in shaping UCGHI’s work. Oladele Ogunseitan, a Distinguished Professor, directs the UCGHI Global Health Education Program, focusing on environmental health, sustainability, and planetary health initiatives. Sean Arayasirikul, an associate professor-in-residence, co-directs the UCGHI Center for Gender and Health Justice, with research aimed at improving health outcomes and access to care for LGBTQIA+ people.
UCGHI’s multidisciplinary portfolio includes several key initiatives: the Center for Planetary Health, the Center for Gender and Health Justice, and the Center for Health Workforce. Additionally, the GloCal Health Fellowship provides interdisciplinary education and training for aspiring global health researchers. The institute has also developed an educational pathway for learners from high school through undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies, offering opportunities in global health knowledge and career development.
This relocation to UC Irvine is expected to build upon UCGHI’s established foundation and enhance its capacity to convene expertise from various disciplines and across the UC system. As UCGHI continues its work from its new administrative home, it remains dedicated to its systemwide mission and its collaborative efforts to foster a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable world through education, research, service, and partnership.
