El-Mohandes, Ayman

This oral history interview with Dr. Ayman El-Mohandes covers his journey from being born into a medical family in Cairo, Egypt, to training as a neonatologist and then transitioning into public health. He discusses his formative experiences working at the Cairo University Children's Hospital, which exposed him to the impact of social determinants on health outcomes. After further training in France and the U.S., the 1987 crack cocaine epidemic in Washington, D.C., was a turning point that motivated him to pursue a master’s in public health. He describes his pioneering work on a randomized trial of a self-efficacy intervention for mothers and how this cemented his passion for public health over clinical medicine. The interview then focuses on his recruitment to become the founding dean of the College of Public Health at UNMC in 2009. He shares insights into building the new college, fostering community engagement, promoting diversity, and leveraging connections in Omaha's arts scene to raise the profile of public health.

transcript of an interview with Ayman El-Mohandes