Welcome Message From Bob Lawrence

Sep 08, 2015

I am very pleased to welcome Anthony So, MD, MPA, as the next director of the Center for a Livable Future (CLF). As described in more detail here Anthony trained in internal medicine and public policy and has successfully applied his knowledge and skills to improving policies and interventions for some of the greatest threats to public health – antibiotic resistance, tobacco use, and access to essential drugs. His approach to analyzing public health problems to seek optimal points of intervention is ideally suited to the CLF’s mission. Although Anthony will not join us fulltime until January 2016, he is already making regular visits to learn in depth about the CLF, to get to know our dedicated staff, and to participate in shaping new activities to achieve our goal of building a healthy, equitable, sustainable and resilient food system.

The core concept at the Center’s founding in 1996 was best expressed by James Grant, the late director of UNICEF, who warned of the ‘vicious spiral’ of population growth, poverty and environmental degradation—each component exacerbating and accelerating the trend toward destruction of the biosphere.

From this perspective emerged the vision of the Center as a 'do-tank'—an interdisciplinary academic resource that could play a role in interrupting the spiral.

From its initial focus on the interconnections among animal agriculture, human diet and nutrition, and public health, the Center developed an innovation grants program, support for doctoral fellows, courses, conferences, and seminars. LEED gold-certified offices reflect our commitment to a livable future. Our work continues to evolve as we pursue new opportunities in research, education, outreach and policy linking food systems, ecology and public health. The journey continues…”

Robert S. Lawrence, MD