Leadership
Craig E. Rubens, MD, PhD
Executive Director
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Craig Rubens is co-founder and executive director of the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS), an initiative of Seattle Children’s. GAPPS was established in 2007 to increase awareness and accelerate innovative research and interventions that will improve maternal, newborn and child health outcomes. Dr. Rubens, an internationally recognized infectious disease expert leads GAPPS work in program development and strategic partnerships that leverage cross-disciplinary science to accelerate a discovery-to-delivery pipeline for preventing prematurity and stillbirth. Dr. Rubens is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, School of Medicine; and the endowed chair of Pediatric Infectious Diseases sponsored by Seattle Children’s Hospital. He is a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and has been a consultant and reviewer for the FDA, CDC and NIH. His long-term research interests include diseases afflicting low-, middle- and high-income countries and he serves on the Executive Committee of the Washington Alliance for Global Health. His specific area of expertise is in exploring the mechanisms of infection during pregnancy and in the early newborn period that lead to poor pregnancy and newborn health outcomes. Insights from his work have begun to identify new opportunities for vaccine development. Dr Rubens is a graduate of the University of Washington, School of Medicine and received a PhD from the Department of Basic and Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Medical University of South Carolina.
Donna Russell, MHA
Director of Research Development
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Donna Russell co-founded GAPPS in 2007, helping to launch the new interdisciplinary initiative of Seattle Children’s focused on reducing preterm birth and stillbirth. As Director of Research Development, Donna develops partnerships to strengthen global research capacity, to establish a structure for a global research network of investigators, and to build a global collection network to support perinatal research. Before joining GAPPS in 2007, she served as a senior policy analyst and consultant for the Washington State Department of Health, and the State Board of Health. She has also served as a consultant to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and Seattle hospitals, in health advocacy, policy development and analysis on a broad range of issues—including public health financing, health workforce shortages, tribal health, and health disparities. She has a strong background and special interest in neonatal Group B Streptococcus disease prevention and her collaborative efforts with the CDC have contributed to adoption of universal prenatal screening for Group B Strep. Ms. Russell serves on the Board of Directors of Group B Strep International.
Michael G. Gravett, MD
Scientific Director
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Dr. Gravett is professor and vice-chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at the University of Washington and a core investigator of GAPPS. Dr. Gravett completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology and fellowships in maternal-fetal medicine and in infectious diseases/immunology at the University of Washington. His research interests center on infectious and inflammatory causes and consequences of preterm birth, and he developed the first experimental non-human primate model for infection-induced preterm birth. He has won numerous awards for his research and currently serves as president of the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Toni Martinez Nunes, MA, MPH
Director of Creative Projects
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Toni has 15 years of experience overseeing projects relating to maternal and child health. While consulting for nonprofits in Washington, D.C., she collaborated with researchers, healthcare practitioners, policymakers, the media, businesses, and the general public. During her career, Toni has helped research, write, edit, design, produce and evaluate technical and educational materials, videos, books, and Web sites for health and environmental organizations. She received a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Master of Arts in Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University. At GAPPS, she edited the Global report on preterm birth and stillbirth and is currently overseeing development of the Web site, a newsletter, and technical content.
Christy Van Pelt
Senior Business Manager
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Christy has 15 years of research administration experience. She provides business and operational expertise, ensuring the maximization of available revenue to achieve strategic goals and business objectives. She focuses on developing budgets for funding applications, developing and implementing contracts, partnership actualization, financial performance and office operations.