About Us

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Prof. Donald A. Donahue, DHEd, MBA, MSJ, is a Professor and Chair of the School of Allied Health at Excelsior University, faculty with the Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians fellowship in disaster medicine, President of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine, and immediate past Chair of the World Humanitarian Forum Global Health Programming Board.  

A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Royal Society for Public Health, and International Commission on Disaster Medicine, and a senior fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, Professor Donahue serves on the boards of the American Academy of Disaster Medicine, Team fEMR (a grass-roots non-profit that developed and fields a field electronic medical record for austere environments). One Health Lessons, the High Alert Institute; the International Board of Disaster Medicine, and the Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, where he is past editor-at-large for the journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness.  Previous positions held by Dr. Donahue include Professor of global health at University of Maryland Baltimore, Professor and Program Chair of healthcare administration and global health at University of Maryland Global Campus, Deputy Surgeon (Plans and Fiscal Programs) for the U.S. Army Reserve, and internal consultant and department administrator with New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation.  

Dr. Donahue earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Political Science from the University of the State of New York, a Master of Business Administration from Baruch College, a Master of Science in Jurisprudence (Health Law) from Seton Hall University School of Law, and a Doctorate in Health Education from A.T. Still University.

Sevan Gerard, MA, EMT-P, NCEE, is Co-Founder and Vice President of the Disaster Health Institute (DHI). Mr. Gerard is dedicated to advancing the convergence of disaster medicine and public health through global partnerships, research, and education. He brings over two decades of leadership experience spanning emergency response, operational resilience, strategic consulting, and innovation in high-stakes environments. Mr. Gerard is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Aviogel SRL, an eco-innovation company developing regenerative wildfire mitigation products. 

In all his roles, he leads business strategy and development, and global  expansion, aligning efforts with ESG principles and emerging sustainability frameworks. His broader business portfolio includes founding and advising startups across the disaster tech, public safety, and humanitarian innovation sectors, with a focus on scalable, system-level solutions. He has consulted for governments, nonprofits, and research institutions on strategic foresight, and technology integration and innovation. At Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) in Austria, Mr. Gerard spearheaded the launch of Europe’s first Center of Excellence in Pediatric Disaster Medicine, integrating cross-border collaboration, pediatric crises planning, and trauma-informed care. 

He serves as General Secretary of WADEM-Europe, is on the board of Couterterrorism Medicine - Europe (CTM-E), and regularly co-organizes high-level programs with International Organizations and NGOs.

His operational background includes two decades in the Los Angeles Fire Department, international deployments to "hot zones" providing inteligence based risk mitigation, and service as Acting Deputy Commander of DMAT CA-9 under US ASPR.  Sevan has a B.S. in Emergency Medical Care from Loma Linda University, an M.A. in Security Studies from the US Naval Postgraduate School and is pursuing a PhD in medical science at PMU, focusing on quality assurance in disaster health systems through the lens of complexity science and artificial intelligence.

Dr Jan-Cedric Hansen is a physician with over 30 years of experience in disaster medicine, crisis coordination, and geriatric care. With both French and Norwegian heritage, he brings a systemic, intercultural lens to global health resilience and risk governance.

He has contributed to major emergency responses, including Ebola and COVID-19, and integrates disaster preparedness into geriatric population strategies at the territorial level. His teaching spans European universities and the University of Senghor (Francophonie), where he leads a flagship program on strategic negotiation and disaster preparedness in Africa–Europe relations, training over 100 African senior health professionals annually.

A prolific contributor to disaster and health security literature, Dr Hansen is author and co-author of numerous peer-reviewed articles and books, including works on civil–military collaboration, global biological threat preparedness, and the conceptual foundations of disaster response. He has also published clarifications and extensions to advanced strategic triage methods and actively promotes the integration of cindynics—the science of risk and danger—into strategic and clinical decision-making.

Dr Hansen holds leadership roles in multiple international societies dedicated to disaster medicine and health systems. He advises public institutions and academic bodies on anticipatory governance, ethical frameworks, and multidisciplinary education in high-risk environments.

His career bridges academic insight, clinical expertise, and international cooperation for sustainable health system security.

Dr. Paul Barach is an international expert on health security, civil and military disaster management, public health leadership, community resilience and mass casualty events with both extensive professional and academic experience. Dr. Barach is the lead on Disasters and Emergencies for the Association of Schools of Public Health in European Region (ASPHER) and Chair of the Accreditation Board of Agency for Public Health Education and Training (APHEA). Dr. Barach’s experience spans the military, government, and private sectors and focuses on healthcare operations, medical readiness, emergency preparedness, mental health resilience and bioterrorism. His work has included development of a medical intelligence courses, creation of multiple undergraduate and graduate courses in healthcare administration and global health, evaluation, and on increasing access to healthcare and enhanced resiliency for vulnerable populations.

Dr. Barach trained as an anesthesiologist and intensive care physician at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. His research work includes the design and application of human factors and systems engineering in undertaking highly responsive, rigorous and rapid appraisals of novel service innovations in health care services. His work has included designing, directing, and delivering education and training to military and civilian audiences in disaster preparedness and response, management of logistical support and team training and preparedness.

His global work has been supported by over USD $100,000,000 research funding. He holds academic positions at the Thomas Jefferson University College of Population Health, Imperial College London, University of Birmingham, Sigmund Freud University, National Cancer Institute of South Korea, University of Queensland, Riphah Islamic University of Pakistan and MUHAS University, Tanzania. He has successfully advised more than 50 doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. He has published over 300 papers, 5 books and his work has been widely cited. He is an elected Fellow of Academy of University Anesthesiologists (AUA).

Dr. John Quinn is Lead Researcher at the Prague Center for Global Health and a practicing Emergency Medicine physician in London. With over 20 years of global experience as both a licensed paramedic and emergency physician, he brings deep field expertise to humanitarian, academic, and conflict settings.

Dr. Quinn plays an active role in the CONVERGENCE research initiative, advancing interdisciplinary collaboration in disaster health, global health security, and prehospital systems. He supports academic and operational partnerships across Europe, North America, and the Middle East, helping bridge research with frontline implementation. He regularly contributes to international workshops, multi-agency planning, and NATO-aligned concept development.

He has recently served as Medical Director for Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) in Ukraine and as Medical Officer for the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. He also supported WHO operations in Northern Iraq, delivering Damage Control Resuscitation during the Mosul campaign. Dr. Quinn holds an MPH and PhD in Hygiene and Epidemiology.

His fieldwork spans Ukraine, Iraq, Israel and Palestine, Kurdistan, and Timor-Leste. He has established medical operations in austere settings, advised NATO and partner nations, and contributed to multinational exercises such as NATO Vigorous Warrior. He has led initiatives in Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Prolonged Field Care, and prehospital whole blood delivery in Ukraine.

A former Alumni Scholar at the George C. Marshall Center, Dr. Quinn continues to support emergency care innovation and international health system resilience through academic collaboration and strategic advisory roles.