People: USP names new head of global public health

The US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) has appointed Kelly Willis as senior vice president of global public health, with responsibility for projects including the Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM) initiative.

Prior to joining USP, Willis was executive director of Accordia Global Health Foundation, an organisation that seeks to develop new health models in Africa to address the burden of infectious diseases and transform the health landscape in that region.

In addition to the PQM project - which focuses on access to quality drugs and protecting the public from substandard and counterfeit medicines - Willis will also head up USP's Center for Pharmaceutical Advancement and Training (CePAT), Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) and Official Medicines Control Laboratory (OMCL) networks, all of which play key roles in the fight against illicit medicines.