Sonny S. Patel

Sonny S. Patel, MPH, MPhil, is a former National Institutes of Health Fogarty Global Health Scholar who has developed protocols, programs and training to build capacity and knowledge in communities worldwide - from subject matters in Public Health, Community Health, and Mental Health to specialized topics in Emergency Management, Community Resilience, and Disaster Risk Reduction.

He was named by USAID in India as one of the top DevDisruptors in Mental Health (2020) and by NATO peers in Ukraine as a rising star in Environmental Health and Security in Conflict Zones (2018).

Sonny serves as a Public Health and Global Health Executive on advisory committees and board of directors of organizations creating positive social and community impact, such as The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center. He has received his Bachelors from University of California, Berkeley, his Masters from University of Southern California (Public Health and Global Health Leadership) and King’s College London (Psychological Medicine).

Sonny is also an award-winning researcher and a Presidential Fellow in the Transcultural Conflict and Violence Initiative at Georgia State University. He specializes in building community resilience through the intersection of strategic communication, public health, and emergency management in disaster and conflict settings. Patel’s research interests include risk and crisis communication, the application of emerging technologies in disaster response, and community-based strategies for disaster risk reduction. He has led the development and implementation of protocols, programs, and training initiatives that build capacity and resilience in communities around the world. Patel’s work continues to drive innovation at the nexus of research, policy, and practice toward safer, healthier, and more resilient communities worldwide.