DLSPH Remembers Paula Braitstein
October 18/2022
Dear Colleagues,
We are writing with heavy hearts to inform you that our friend, colleague and department/faculty member, Dr. Paula Braitstein, passed away on Sunday in Eldoret, Kenya. Paula was a Professor of Epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and cross-appointed to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Faculty of Medicine as well as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University and Visiting Professor at Moi University. She started her career as an HIV treatment educator and activist in the community-based HIV/AIDs movement.
Professor Paula Braitstein
She was a CIHR Applied Public Health Chair and renowned expert in epidemiology, population health and planetary health. Her research was focused on the HIV prevention-care continuum in sub-Saharan Africa, and vulnerable and marginalized children and adolescents, including orphans, street-involved children and youth.
Paula had lived and worked primarily in Kenya since 2007, where she carried out impactful mixed methods research with marginalized populations, in particular those living with HIV and street-connected children and youth. Paula’s work was constantly focused on improving health outcomes and proving the value of innovative and effective program implementation.
In 2017, she was recognized with a CIHR-Institute of Population & Public Health Trailblazer Award for her impactful community-engaged research. Her work and personal life epitomized advocacy and the struggle to achieve equity, care and caring for all. She was passionate about the environment and was a fierce supporter and advocate for environmental causes, in particular the beautiful forests of Kaptegat where she lived. Paula was an exceptional mentor and research supervisor to a generation of public health and medical trainees on multiple continents.
We send our most profound condolences to Paula’s husband, Ashwani Vyas, their son, Otte, her father, Marcel, and sister, Lara, and all her many friends and colleagues.
We know that all who knew her will remember and carry forward her personal and professional legacy.
Sincerely,
Adalsteinn (Steini) Brown
Dean and Professor
Dalla Lana School of Public Health