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"Education is freedom."
                      -- Andre Gide, Journal.

I believe in the power of education to change the world, and I consider teaching and learning to be acts of personal and social transformation. I enjoy working with public health professionals who have returned to university to seek new ways of solving old problems.

Ann E. Downer
Adjunct Associate Professor
Associate Professor, Global Health (primary appt.)

Ann Downer, MS, EdD, is the founding Director of the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), a center in the University of Washington (UW), Department of Global Health. Dr. Downer is a Senior Lecturer in global health and serves as Principal Investigator for multiple health and training grants within the Department. She also chairs the Department's working group on distance learning.

Dr. Downer's areas of expertise include health communication, persuasion, and behavior change; organizational leadership; and instructional design. She has balanced the leadership of clinical training and systems strengthening organizations with teaching and mentoring students at the UW for more than 25 years. Prior to I-TECH, she founded the UW Center for Health Education and Research and served as the Director of the Northwest AIDS Education and Training Center for 10 years.

Dr. Downer leads a global network that works with local governments to strengthen health systems and improve the quality of public sector health care in under-resourced countries. Under her leadership, I-TECH is playing a central role in the US PEPFAR Initiative's commitment to strengthen sustainable health systems and train 140,000 new health care workers by 2013.

Research Interests:
Assessment, strategic planning, intervention design, implementation and evaluation of domestic and international HIV/AIDS/STI prevention, treatment and care programs; health communication; instructional design; educational leadership and management

SciVal Experts Profile

Contact Information

email:   downer@uw.edu

address:
International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH)
901 Boren Ave., Suite 1100
Seattle, WA 98104

campus box:   359932
voice:   206-685-6841
fax:   206-221-4945

Education

EdD   Seattle University, 1996   (Educational Leadership)
MS   University of Washington, 1984   (Health Education)
BA   Western Washington University, 1979   (Education)

Dissertation, Thesis & Capstone Committees (recent HSERV graduates)

2011
Member, thesis committee for Jana Sczersputowski
Prevention Options for Women Equal Rights (POWER) social marketing campaign: Does awareness of campaign materials act as a factor in increasing interpersonal communication about, and intent to use, male and female condoms?

External Funding (sampling of recent awards from UW SAGE data)

International AIDS Education and Training Center
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
PI:   Holmes           Dates:    4/1/2013 - 3/31/2014

Positive Prevention Mozambique
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    9/30/2012 - 12/31/2013

Building Sustainable Human and Institutional Capacity for HIV Care
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
PI:   Holmes           Dates:    4/1/2012 - 3/31/2013

Strengthening Graduate-Level Public Health Education in the Government of the Republic of Namibia Under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    4/1/2012 - 3/31/2013

Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Program
US Department of Defense (DOD)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    2/15/2012 - 2/14/2013

Mozambique Trilateral Agreement
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    1/1/2012 - 3/31/2012

Strategic Information Activities in Mozambique
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    11/1/2011 - 3/31/2012

Phone for Health Kenya
Center for Disease Control Foundation
PI:   Downer           Dates:    10/1/2011 - 9/30/2012

HIV Care and Support Program in the Republic of South Africa
National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    9/30/2011 - 9/29/2012

Strategic planning and capacity building for strategic information services in Mozambique
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    9/30/2011 - 9/29/2012

Harvard AIDS Initiative in Vietnam
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
PI:   Downer           Dates:    9/30/2011 - 9/29/2012

Positive Prevention Mozambique
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    9/30/2011 - 9/29/2012

Establishing and Strengthening CoE’s as Regional Health System Hubs
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
PI:   Barnhart           Dates:    9/1/2011 - 8/30/2016

Tanzania M&E Contract
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    7/1/2011 - 6/30/2012

Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Treatment, Care and Support Program
Management Sciences for Health (MSH)
PI:   Barnhart           Dates:    5/1/2011 - 4/30/2016

Strengthening Graduate-Level Public Health Education in the Government of the Republic of Namibia Under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    4/1/2011 - 3/31/2012

Tanzania Surveillance Over Twelve Months
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    4/1/2011 - 3/31/2012

Tanzania M&E Over Three Months
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    4/1/2011 - 6/30/2011

Building Sustainable Human and Institutional Capacity for HIV Care
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
PI:   Holmes           Dates:    4/1/2011 - 3/31/2016

Strategic planning and capacity building for strategic information services in Mozambique
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    4/1/2011 - 9/29/2011

Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Program
US Department of Defense (DOD)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    3/1/2011 - 2/29/2012

Phones for Health Kenya
Center for Disease Control Foundation
PI:   Downer           Dates:    1/28/2011 - 9/28/2011

Training of Trainers for Cholera Clinical Care Management Haiti
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    11/16/2010 - 2/15/2011

Strategic Information Activities in Mozambique
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    11/1/2010 - 3/1/2011

Strategic Information Activities in Mozambique
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    11/1/2010 - 3/31/2012

HIV Care and Support Program in the Republic of South Africa
National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    10/1/2010 - 9/29/2011

HIV Care and Support Program in the Republic of South Africa
National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    10/1/2010 - 9/29/2011

Positive Prevention Mozambique
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    9/30/2010 - 9/29/2011

Harvard AIDS Initiative in Vietnam
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
PI:   Downer           Dates:    9/30/2010 - 9/29/2011

Hinterland Initiative - Expanding HIV/AIDS Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    9/1/2010 - 8/31/2011

Strengthening Graduate-Level Public Health Education in the Government of the Republic of Namibia Under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    4/10/2010 - 3/31/2011

International AIDS Education and Training Center
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
PI:   Holmes           Dates:    4/1/2010 - 3/31/2011

Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Treatment Program
US Department of Defense (DOD)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    10/1/2009 - 6/30/2010

Hinterland Initiative - Expanding HIV/AIDS Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    9/30/2009 - 9/29/2014

Strengthening Communities' Responses to HIV/AIDS
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    4/1/2009 - 3/31/2014

Strengthening Graduate-Level Public Health Education in the Government of the Republic of Namibia Under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    1/1/2009 - 12/31/2013

Partnership for Health and Development Communication Leadership
Academy for Educational Development (AED)
PI:   Downer           Dates:    8/1/2007 - 7/31/2012

AIDS Population and Health Integrated Assistance Program
EngenderHealth, Inc.
PI:   Downer           Dates:    5/1/2006 - 4/30/2011

International AIDS Education and Training Center
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
PI:   Holmes           Dates:    3/1/2006 - 2/28/2011

Projects

International Training and Education Center on HIV (I-TECH)

I-TECH is funded by HRSA to coordinate human capacity development activities for the Global AIDS Program (GAP) field offices of CDC throughout the world. I-TECH currently operates projects in Botswana, the Caribbean Region, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Thailand, and Zimbabwe and maintains fully operational offices in three of these countries. I-TECH activities are diverse and include assessing capacity and need for clinical training, designing national and regional clinical training programs, conducting clinical training, evaluating the outcome of capacity development efforts, producing curricula and media-based learning tools, and providing technical experts for all aspects of HIV/AIDS clinic operations.
http://www.go2itech.org/

Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training (CHART) Initiative
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provides this funding to advance development of the CHART network in the Caribbean region. The CHART Initiative is establishing and expanding a broad network of national HIV/AIDS training centers throughout the Caribbean, all coordinated by a regional center located at the University of the West Indies.
http://www.go2itech.org/
The Synergy Project
The Synergy Project is funded by USAID to increase the use of improved, effective, and sustainable responses to reduce HIV transmission and mitigate the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. UW CHER is a partner to the prime contractor in WA DC and maintains a working team on the west coast in order to develop and update a web-enhanced resource center for support of HIV/AIDS program managers and to publish technical updates on emerging issues in global HIV programming.
Sample of Media Production with Cascade Health Communication
(Executive Producer)
  • Tambaram Journeys: Working Together to Respond to HIV/AIDS in Southern India AID
  • Epidemiology of the Caribbean Region: A Teaching Tool
  • Haba Na Haba: Stories of Health and Culture in Kenya
  • Double Jeopardy: Management of the HIV/Hepatitis C Co-Infected Patient
  • Community Support is Strong Medicine: Three Natives Share Their Stories About Living With HIV/AIDS
  • Occupational Exposure to HIV: Recommendations for PEP with Dr. David Spach
  • Oral Manifestations of HIV/AIDS: An Update with Joel Epstein, DMD, MSD, FRCD
  • Listen and Guide: Delivering Mental Health Care in HIV-Affected Alaskan Villages
  • Tumaini: Stories of Hope and Change in Kenya
  • Profile: Regional AIDS Training Network for Southern and Eastern Africa

Links

CDC Global AIDS Program
The Communication Initiative
Cascade Health Communicatio
AETC
Center for Palliative Care Education
Principles of HIV/AIDS and STD Course
PTC

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