Mangla Named Director of Academic Relations and Research 

Anil T. Mangla, M.S., Ph.D., M.P.H., is the now the director of academic relations and research at the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and will serve as a departmental liaison to education and academia. As DPH moves forward, it will look to increase publishing efforts and build upon existing relationships in the academic community. Dr. Mangla comes to this new position from his role as Director of Infectious Disease and Immunizations where he lead one of the largest school-based flu immunization programs in the country. He brings a wealth of knowledge with regard to infectious diseases, heavy metal toxicology, epidemiology and community advocacy. In addition to his work with DPH, Dr. Mangla prepares the next generation of public health professionals in his capacity as an adjunct professor at the University of Georgia School of Public Health and Mercer University School of Medicine.

“I am thrilled with this new position,” stated Dr. Mangla. “For the first time, we have an official department that will collaborate with academia and other organizations and institutions. This position will also allow me to complete many of the important studies and trials we have initiated in Georgia. This research and resulting publications are important to show case our new highly-skilled innovative Department of Public Health. We have some excellent evidenced-based protocols and these should serve as models for the rest of the nation.”

One of Dr. Mangla’s goals in his new position is to create an internship program for M.P.H. students. “For the past ten years, I have had the best of both worlds where I was front line doing public health at the state level and I was also faculty,” he explained. “In this dual role, I was able to see the important role in bringing practice into the classroom. Public health is not textbook. Public health is in the frontline helping citizens and combating diseases.” An internship program will help grow the future public health workforce and prepare students for the important work they will do as public health practitioners. Dr. Mangla also wants to work with medical schools to include physicians’ rotations into public health especially at the state level.

Dr. Mangla described the importance of collaboration with academia. “Subject matter experts will now be available to us as a department for collaboration on projects and research.” He also stressed the importance of increasing DPH’s publishing efforts. “The department has a wealth of data that has not yet been used to provide useful information to the public,” he explained. Dr. Mangla will assist each department in correctly formulating abstracts, publications and detailed analysis to share the results of their hard work.

Dr. Mangla received his B.S. in Biochemistry and Physiology at University of Kwazulu, South Africa. He completed his M.S. in Chemistry at University of Texas and his Ph.D. at Texas Tech University under the mentorship of Dr William David Nes, a world-renowned researcher in Infectious Diseases. He then completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota under the leadership of Professor Karin Musier-Forsyth, an authority of Nucleic Acid-Protein Interactions in HIV.

Dr. Mangla served as president of Africa Solutions and as chair for Sub-Saharan African Youth and Family Services in Minnesota . During this period, he focused on HIV and TB in the foreign-born populations and facilitated services for refugees. He completed an M.P.H. at the University of Minnesota as a Bush Leadership fellow. He interned with Congresswoman Betty McCollum evaluating PEPFAR and was presented with the flag that was flown over the United States Capitol by Congresswoman McCollum for his commitment to Global Health and the citizens of Minnesota. Dr. Mangla also served as co-president with Congressman Arlen Erdarl for the United Nations Association of Minnesota from 2003-2005.
 
-Story by Kimberly Stringer, DPH Communications

Home | Utilizing Interactive Technology | Sneak Thief of Sight | District 4 Open House | Sweet Dreams in South | Mangla Named Director | EPA clamps Down | PHBRIEFS | PHRECIPE | PHTRAINING | PHEVENTS | PHNEWS