Dr. Judith N. Lasker is the author of Hoping to Help; The Promises and Pitfalls of Global Health Volunteering (Cornell U. Press, 2016), which examines the impact on host communities and on volunteers of short-term international programs in health. She has spoken about her research to audiences globally.
Dr. Lasker is co-founder of Advocacy for Global Health Partnerships, a coalition of leaders from all sectors involved in global health programs–—NGO’s, faith-based organizations, academia, governmental groups and corporations– who advocate for research-based standards for more effective and ethical practices. Dr. Lasker, is also creator of the “Brocher Declaration” which is a result of her years of research into the topic of “Improving the value of short term clinical programs in global health”. This declaration is a statement of ethical principles for guiding policy on short-term global health engagements and is supported by many organizations globally.
Dr. Lasker is Professor Emerita of Sociology and Health Medicine and Society, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA. She earned her B.A. at Brandeis and her M.A. and Ph.D. at Harvard. Judith’s major areas of interest are in the field of medical sociology, with particular emphasis on women’s health issues and international health.
In 2014, Judith was awarded the Centennial Medal by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard for “contributions to society as they have emerged from one’s graduate education at Harvard.”
