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Guinea Worm Program Staff

Adam Weiss, M.P.H.
Director, Guinea Worm Eradication Program

In 2018, Adam Weiss was named director of the Carter Center's Guinea Worm Eradication Program. In this capacity, Weiss works in conjunction with the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Research, Training, and Eradication of Dracunculiasis at the CDC to provide technical assistance to national eradication programs, and to monitor and disseminate information about the status of the global campaign.

Weiss joined the Carter Center in 2005 as a technical advisor to national Guinea worm eradication programs in Ghana and Ethiopia, and, prior to becoming director, was senior associate director for the program. He also worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana where he focused on access to safe water, AIDS awareness, community-based health education, and assisted in the effort to eradicate Guinea worm disease.

Weiss graduated cum laude from Ripon College with a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology and politics and government and holds a master of public health degree from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Weiss received the Charles C. Shepard Award for his thesis on Guinea worm in Ghana. Read full bio.

Donald Hopkins, M.D., M.P.H.
Special Advisor for Guinea Worm Eradication

Dr. Donald R. Hopkins is the former director of health programs at The Carter Center. He first joined the Center in 1987 as the senior consultant for the health programs, leading the Center's efforts to eradicate Guinea worm disease and river blindness worldwide. Hopkins' professional experience includes serving as deputy director (1984-1987) and acting director (1985) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He was an assistant professor of tropical public health at Harvard School of Public Health, and he directed the Smallpox Eradication/Measles Control Program in Sierra Leone.

Hopkins attended the Institute of European Studies at the University of Vienna. He received his bachelor of science degree from Morehouse College, his doctor of medicine from the University of Chicago, and his master of public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. He is board certified in pediatrics and public health and has been a member of seven U.S. delegations to the World Health Assembly. Read full bio.

Sarah Yerian, M.P.H.
Senior Associate Director, Guinea Worm Eradication Program

Sarah Yerian became senior associate director in May 2019 after serving as the country representative for Carter Center health programs in South Sudan since 2016. She also provided support to the South Sudan Guinea Worm Eradication Program as a technical advisor in multiple locations in the country. Yerian holds a bachelor of arts degree in biology and environmental studies from Ohio Wesleyan University and a master of public health degree from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Prior to joining the Carter Center, Yerian worked with study abroad programs in East Africa and in both public health and wildlife management research.

Maryann Delea, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Senior Associate Director of Research, Guinea Worm Eradication Program

Maryann Delea has 15 years of experience in research and international public health programming and worked with the South Sudan Guinea Worm Eradication Program from 2011 through 2013. Her areas of expertise include managing programs and providing technical support, designing interventions and research projects, developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and conducting epidemiological investigations to identify and interrupt environmental drivers of infectious disease transmission. She has developed, implemented, and evaluated programs and projects related to water, sanitation, and hygiene, and emerging, reemerging, and neglected tropical diseases in 13 countries in Asia, Africa, and Central America. Delea received her Ph.D. in infectious and tropical diseases from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, a master of public health in global environmental health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, and a bachelor of arts in psychology from Southern Methodist University.

Jessica van Loben Sels, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Associate Director, Research

Jessica van Loben Sels joined the Guinea Worm Eradication Program in June 2024. Her scientific career includes conducting research on immunological responses to HSV-1 and norovirus infections, designing and deploying novel diagnostic platforms in a Vietnam field study, identifying and characterizing antibodies with therapeutic potential, supporting the NIH COVID-19 Task Force as an epidemiologist and data manager, and building public health laboratory infrastructure in resource-challenged settings, including the U.S. Virgin Islands as part of the CDC Laboratory Leadership Service. She earned a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Kansas, a Master of Public Health in epidemiology from George Washington University, and a doctorate in pathology from the University of Cambridge as an NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholar.

Giovanna Steel, M.A.
Associate Director, Guinea Worm Eradication Program

Giovanna Steel first joined the Carter Center in 2014 as a technical advisor to the Guinea Worm Eradication Program in South Sudan, where she subsequently served as a regional coordinator and deputy country representative. Prior to joining the program she worked with various nonprofit organizations, both domestically and internationally. Steel has a master’s degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and bachelor of arts degrees in political science, Spanish, and international studies from Loyola University Chicago.

Obiora Eneanya, Ph.D., M.Sc.
Epidemiologist, Guinea Worm Eradication Program

Obiora Eneanya’s research focuses on the impacts of climate and socio-demographic factors on the epidemiology of infectious diseases, particularly neglected tropical diseases. He uses geospatial machine learning techniques to estimate risk of infection across large populations, as well as describe drivers/correlates of infection.

Eneanya joined the Guinea Worm Eradication Program in June 2022. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in parasitology and entomology from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria, a Master of Science in applied epidemiology from the University of Nottingham in England, and a Ph.D. in infectious disease epidemiology from Imperial College London. Eneanya received further postdoctoral training at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis as part of the DOLF Project. There he worked on projects aiming to develop and test improved treatments for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. He has experience in operational field research, having conducted fieldwork in several countries in Africa.

Alexandra (Lexi) Sack, Ph.D., M.P.H., D.V.M.
Veterinarian Epidemiologist

Alexandra Sack joined the Guinea Worm Eradication Program in May 2023. Her work has focused on diseases of both human and veterinary importance in the U.S. and abroad and the role of local environmental and human factors in prevention. Sack received a Ph.D. in clinical and translational science from Tufts University, a Master of Public Health in global health from Harvard University, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University, and a Bachelor of Science in biology from Birmingham-Southern College. She received further postdoctoral training at Duke University and the University of Notre Dame. There she worked on projects to prevent schistosomiasis by combining prevention programs with sustainable farming practices to improve health and food security in Madagascar and Senegal.

Yujing Zhao, M.P.H.
Data Analyst, Guinea Worm Eradication Program

As a data analyst for the Carter Center's Guinea Worm Eradication Program, Yujing Zhao works with data managers and epidemiologists to create systems and streamline workflows. Prior to joining the program, he was a statistician for government healthcare organizations in South Carolina, where he focused on COVID-19, HIV, stroke, and hospital-acquired infections. Zhao holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of South Carolina and a master of public health degree from the Medical University of South Carolina.

Mindze Mbala Nkanga
Program Associate, Guinea Worm Eradication Program

Mindze Mbala Nkanga joined the Guinea Worm Eradication Program in July 2020. As a Peace Corps health volunteer in Senegal, Nkanga collaborated with community health workers to promote disease-preventing behaviors related to malaria and malnutrition. She continued working in global health with the American Cancer Society, where she served as program coordinator for the Global Capacity Development and Patient Support program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kalamazoo College in Michigan.

Valerie Mendes, M.A.
Program Assistant, Guinea Worm Eradication Program

Valerie Mendes joined The Carter Center in 2023. Her role is focused on supporting the program with in-country consultant contracts and requests, events, and administrative tasks, including clerical and logistical work. She is fluent in French, Portuguese, and English and has more than 15 years of experience working as an executive administrative officer for hospitality industries and diplomatic missions. She holds a Master of Arts in language, a bachelor’s in international relations, and a BTEC higher national diploma in hotel management.

Jacqueline Mullen, M.Sc.
Program Assistant, Guinea Worm Eradication Program

Jackie Mullen provides operations and logistic support for the Guinea Worm Eradication Program and domestic and international partners. Her experience includes working with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.K. Parliament, the Embassy of Ireland, the Senegalese Institute for Agricultural Research, and several international NGOs. Her work has ranged from international diplomacy and environmental research to building two-way trade between the United States and Africa. She has a Master of Science in development practices from Trinity College Dublin and a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from The Catholic University of America.