Joel G. Breman

Joel Breman (December 1, 1936 – April 6, 2024) was an American epidemiologist who worked for the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and became president of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He led efforts to control botulism, ebola, malaria, smallpox and emerging infectious diseases.

Early life and education Joel Gordon Breman was born on December 1, 1936, in Chicago, before going on to attend the University of Southern California (USC) School of Medicine, graduating in 1965. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, followed by a fellowship in Infectious diseases at Boston City Hospital, the latter of which was supported by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) career development award. He later earned a diploma in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He was later moved to Guinea to support efforts on smallpox eradication. However, in October, the CDC asked him to investigate a viral outbreak in Zaire. At the WHO he also oversaw research on mpox. He was Jewish. Per his wishes, he had a funeral which was "more celebratory than mournful". The procession of his body out of the synagogue featured musicians playing Amazing Grace on tuba, drum, trumpet, clarinet, and accordion.