Event Description:
The Health Research Alliance will host an advocacy training on January 22 at 1:00 p.m. ET, led by Research!America staff Erin Darbouze, MPH, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, and Savannah Sims, PhD, Director, Global Health R&D Advocacy. The session will cover advocacy fundamentals, communicating effectively with lawmakers, and practical ways to make an impact to help ensure medical and health research remains a national priority.
Speakers:
Dr. Savannah Sims is the Director for Global Health R&D Advocacy at Research!America, a national non-profit medical and health research advocacy alliance. As Director for Global Health R&D Advocacy at Research!America, Savannah advances policies and funding to support medical and health research, engaging with Congress and stakeholders to champion sustained investment in federal research agencies.
Before joining Research!America as the Dr. Leroy Hood Science Policy Fellow, Savannah was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Washington University in St. Louis. She earned her Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis from West Virginia University, where her research focused on neuroinflammation in stroke and multiple sclerosis. Savannah also holds a B.Sc. in Immunology and Medical Microbiology from WVU.
Erin Darbouze, MPH, is the Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy at Research!America, where she leads efforts to advance medical research, foster innovation, and drive scientific discovery. She has over 15 years of experience in government relations, issue advocacy, and strategic planning in Washington, D.C., including six years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Before joining Research!America, Erin was the Health Policy Manager at Fight Colorectal Cancer, where she worked closely with stakeholders to improve prevention, early detection, and access to care while advocating for increased research funding and the acceleration of new treatments and therapies.
A Florida native, Erin earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in public health from George Washington University. She currently resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Dave, and their two cats.