Fitzhugh Mullan, MD

Fitzhugh S. M. Mullan is Murdock Head Professor of Medicine and Health Policy, a joint position in SPHHS and the SMHS. His primary appointment is in the Department of Health Policy.

From the challenges of meeting the needs of the uninsured in the District of Columbia's inner city, to the titanic struggle against HIV/AIDS in Africa, Professor Mullan's career has focused on community health, workforce issues, including the medical brain drain in Africa, and many other challenges in medical and public health policy. "Health equity at home and abroad is the principle that unifies my work," he says.

A pediatrician whose far-reaching career has included clinical, administrative and editorial responsibilities in both the public and the private sector, Dr. Mullan is also a cancer survivor and the Founding President of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. Cognizant of the importance of communicating with both lay and professional audiences, Dr. Mullan is a contributing editor to Health Affairs and the editor of that journal's "Narrative Matters" section; a prolific book reviewer; and author of a number of general-interest books, including Vital Signs: A Young Doctor's Struggle with Cancer and Big Doctoring in America: Profiles in Primary Care. Prior to joining the School's faculty in 1996, Dr. Mullan directed the Bureau of Health Professions in the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, earning the rank of Assistant Surgeon General.

Dr. Mullan is Director of the Department's Hirsh Program in Medicine and Public Policy, which works to advance understanding of the influence of medicine and medical education on health care and public health. 

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