Deborah McFarland is Associate Professor in the Hubert Department of Global Health at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. In addition to her teaching and research responsibilities, Dr. McFarland directs the School’s Foege Fellowship, Peace Corps Masters International, and Global Field Experience programs. Prior to joining the Emory faculty, Dr. McFarland worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its International Health Program Office, where she focused her efforts on child survival issues, infectious diseases, and equitable financing systems.

Dr. McFarland began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia, which was the catalyst for her lifelong interest in the intersection of public health, economics, and ethics. Her primary research interests are international health care financing and health policy with an emphasis on financing for preventive and public health services. She has worked in more than 30 countries during her career and has a particular interest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Much of her work involves collaborations with the World Bank, the World Health Organization, the Carter Center, and the United States Agency for International Development on projects related to the ethics and economics of resource allocation for public health priorities such as HIV/AIDS, eradicable diseases, and immunization programs. She is the 2000 winner of the Thomas F. Sellers, Jr., MD Award, which is presented annually to a Rollins School of Public Health faculty member who exemplifies the ideas of public health and who serves as a role model for and mentor to his or her colleagues.