Keynote Speakers

Dr. Vivek H. MurthyDr. Vivek H. Murthy was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in March 2021 to serve as the 21st Surgeon General of the United States. As the Nation's Doctor, the Surgeon General's mission is to help lay the foundation for a healthier country, relying on the best scientific information available to provide clear, consistent, and equitable guidance and resources for the public. And as the Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Dr. Murthy commands a uniformed service of over 6,000 dedicated public health officers, serving the most underserved and vulnerable populations domestically and abroad.

While serving as 21st Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy is focused on drawing attention to and working across government to address a number of critical public health issues, including the growing proliferation of health misinformation, the ongoing youth mental health crisis, well-being and burnout in the health worker community, and social isolation and loneliness. Additionally, he serves as a key advisor to President Biden's COVID-19 pandemic response operation.

During his previous tenure as 19th Surgeon General, under President Obama, Dr. Murthy created initiatives to tackle our country's most pressing public health challenges. The first Surgeon General of Indian descent and the youngest active duty flag officer in federal uniformed service, he helped lead the national response to a range of health challenges, including the Ebola and Zika viruses, the opioid crisis, and the growing threat of stress and loneliness to Americans' physical and mental wellbeing. Dr. Murthy also continued the office's legacy on preventing tobacco-related disease, releasing a historic Surgeon General's report on e-cigarettes and youth. And in 2016, he issued the first Surgeons General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health, in which he challenged the nation to expand access to prevention and treatment, and to recognize addiction as a chronic illness, not a character flaw.

Prior to his second confirmation, Dr. Murthy co-chaired President-elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 Advisory Board from November 2020 to January 2021. Before entering government service, Dr. Murthy co-founded VISIONS, a global HIV/AIDS education organization; the Swasthya Project, a rural health partnership that trained women in South India to become community health workers and educators; TrialNetworks, a technology company dedicated to improving collaboration and efficiency in clinical trials; and Doctors for America, a nonprofit mobilizing physicians and medical students to improve access to affordable care. His scientific research has focused on vaccine development and the participation of women and minorities in clinical trials. And as an internal medicine doctor at Brigham and Women's Hospital and at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Murthy cared for thousands of patients and trained undergraduates, medical students, and medical residents.

Raised in Miami, Dr. Murthy received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard, his MD from the Yale School of Medicine, and his Masters in Business Administration from the Yale School of Management. A renowned physician, research scientist, entrepreneur, mango aficionado, and author of the bestselling book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, Dr. Murthy is today among the most trusted voices in America on matters of public health. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Dr. Alice Chen, and their two children.

Dr. Ilan ShapiroDr. Ilan Shapiro is the Senior Vice-President and Chief Health Correspondent and Medical Affairs Officer for AltaMed Health Services. He supports strategies for external health communications, advocacy, and community relations. As the Chief Health Correspondent for AltaMed, Dr. Shapiro works closely with the Public Affairs, Community Affairs, Government Relations, and Civic Engagement departments to help expand community health and wellness initiatives.

Dr. Shapiro has been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic as a leading health expert, providing care, education and information. He has become a trusted media resource for both regional and national news outlets, including CNN, NBC, MSNBC, Telemundo, and Univision.

Dr. llan Shapiro has been with AltaMed since 2016, and has made a significant impact on the organization and the greater communities it serves. He is a tireless advocate for health care equality, with a deep affinity for innovation and public health policy, especially relating to the Latino population.

Dr. Shapiro's background includes award-winning public health work, often on the international stage. After graduating as Honorary Valedictorian with his medical degree, he worked for the Mexican Secretary of Health as the liaison between Mexico and the World Health Organization (WHO). He has created binational public health programs to improve the health of Hispanic communities on both sides of the border.

Ryan A. McKelleyRyan A. McKelley, Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist, Professor of Clinical/Counseling Psychology, Interim Program Director for the School Psychology Graduate Training Program, and Program Coordinator for the Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Minor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He earned a B.S. in Organizational Communication from Northwestern University, and a M.A. in Educational Psychology and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. He regularly teaches courses on health psychology, behavior modification, abnormal psychology, group counseling, and men and masculinities. He has taught summer sessions abroad in England, Ireland, Spain, China, Costa Rica, & Thailand. He previously served as the Chair and Associate Chair of the Psychology Department.

Dr. McKelley has co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, mostly in the area of men and masculinities. Specific research and presentation topics include men’s emotions, help-seeking, alternative treatment models, non-traditional work and family roles, fatherhood, men and depression, marketing mental health, and the placebo effect in biofeedback.

In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. McKelley has provided clinical services in a community mental health center, three university counseling centers, and a pain clinic. He currently provides contract clinical services in individual and group therapy, and clinical supervision. He’s been a weekly discussant on the internet radio show and iTunes podcast The Secret Lives of Men, and is Past-President of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities, a division of the American Psychological Association.

Dr. McKelley has been interviewed extensively in the area of men’s mental health and changing gender roles. In the last few years, he has been quoted in outlets including the New York Times, USA Today, ABC News, Upworthy, Vox Media, documentaries, and local papers in U.S. and abroad. He has also appeared on several radio stations such as National Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Radio, and ABC Radio News, has a TEDx talk on social connection and masculinity, interview on masculinity and culture on the Here We Are science podcast, La Crosse Thinkers podcast, the ManKind Project, Men's Therapy Online, and teach-in presentations on rape culture and toxic masculinity.

Meghan Miller

Meghan Miller, Ed.D. is the Director of Health Education at The Floating Hospital, a health clinic in Queens, NY that specializes in healthcare for families living in temporary housing. Dr. Miller leads a team of health education specialists who provide direct outreach and education to individuals, schools, and community organizations on a range of topics—from managing chronic illness, self-care and wellbeing, to healthy nutrition and sexual health.

Drawing upon her experience creating youth-development camps as a community health specialist with the Peace Corps in Uganda, Dr. Miller established The Floating Hospital’s Camp Rise Up, a week-long overnight summer camp that serves as a health education intervention. The camp focuses on sexual health, social-emotional learning and leadership skills for teens living in temporary housing. This year, an additional day camp was held for newly migrated, Spanish-speaking teens.

Dr. Miller holds a Master of Public Health from Emory University and earned her Doctorate in Education from Teacher’s College, Columbia University, with a focus on the impact of health education interventions on at-risk youth. She previously taught middle school English and health in both Philadelphia, with Teach for America, and in Brooklyn with Uncommon Schools.