Jessica Backman-Levy, PhD, an associate professor of practice at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis; along with Beryne Odeny, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Public Health Sciences at WashU Medicine, have been chosen to join a yearlong initiative aimed at promoting women into high-level leadership roles in global health.

Backman-Levy and Odeny will be part of WomenLift Health’s 2025 North America cohort within the Leadership Journey. This fully funded 12-month leadership program empowers mid-career women with mentoring, coaching, and development resources to amplify their influence in the global health field. The initiative offers participants access to a diverse community of peers, mentors, and specialists while assisting them in enhancing their leadership presence and advocacy techniques.

Backman-Levy’s research centers on the convergence of gender, poverty, and global maternal and child health. Her goal is to identify culturally relevant interventions that foster gender equality and enhance reproductive health and development outcomes. Backman-Levy also serves as a faculty scholar at the Institute for Public Health and is a member of the School’s Global Advisory Committee.

Odeny is a physician-scientist and an expert in global public health. With a specialization in implementation science and population studies, she spearheads research focused on lung cancer screening, cardiovascular disease prevention, and the incorporation of routine cancer screenings for high-risk populations. Her work employs various research methodologies, such as quasi-experimental designs, mixed methods, and community-based participatory research, to explore and tackle health disparities throughout the cancer care continuum.

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