Gail Christopher

Dr. Gail C. Christopher is a leader in health policy and social change, recognized for her commitment to addressing the structural causes of health inequity. With expertise in the social determinants of health and public policy, Christopher has contributed to integrating holistic health and diversity concepts into public sector programs and policy discussions. Her career spans philanthropy, academia, government, and public health advocacy, with more than 30 years of experience designing and managing national initiatives and nonprofit organizations.

Christopher has held positions at institutions including The Brookings Institution, where she served as a guest scholar in governance studies, and the Institute for Government Innovation at Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she was executive director. At the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, she served as vice president of the Office of Health, Women and Families and led the Joint Center Health Policy Institute, an initiative focused on engaging underserved racial and ethnic minorities in health policy. She has also managed three public commissions, including the Dellums Commission, which developed policy recommendations to address racial and ethnic health disparities among young men of color.

As senior advisor and vice president at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Christopher led the America Healing initiative and the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) effort, an adaptation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission model. She directed efforts that invested more than $1 billion to advance health, racial healing, and equity in the United States. After her tenure at the foundation, Christopher founded the Ntianu Center for Healing and Nature in Maryland, focusing on writing and public speaking about health, racial healing, and the human capacity for caring. She later became executive director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity, where she leads national efforts to promote health and racial equity.

Christopher is the author or co-author of three books and writes a monthly column in Federal Times. Her book, "Rx Racial Healing: A Guide to Embracing Our Humanity," outlines the methodology and tools for the Rx Racial Healing approach to transformational change in colleges, organizations, and communities. She has delivered a TED Talk on collective and individual healing from the belief in a false hierarchy of humanity. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Journal, Essence, "Good Morning America," "The Oprah Winfrey Show," National Public Radio, and documentaries on PBS and CBS.

Christopher's work has been recognized with honors such as the Leadership Award from the Health Brain Trust of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Society for Public Health Education Honorary Fellow designation, the Change Agent Award from the Schott Foundation for Public Education, and the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs John C. MacQueen Lecture Award. She received the John W. Gardner Leadership Award from Independent Sector and was elected APHA Honorary Vice President for the United States. The American Journal of Health Promotion named her among the 10 Most Influential Women Scholars in Health Promotion. Christopher also serves as chair of the board of The Institute for Functional Medicine, contributing to the fields of integrative health and racial equity.