Ann Aerts, M.D., M.P.H., DTM, has been Head of the Novartis Foundation since January 2013. The Novartis Foundation has the challenging goal of expanding access to quality healthcare and eliminating diseases such as leprosy and malaria. Before her current role, Aerts was Franchise Medical Director Critical Care for Novartis Pharma in Basel and Therapeutic Area Head Cardiovascular and Metabolism in Novartis Pharma Belgium. Prior to joining Novartis, she served as Director of the Lung and Tuberculosis Association in Belgium, as Head of the Health Services Department of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva and was Health Coordinator for the ICRC in several countries.

Aerts holds a Degree in Medicine and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Leuven, Belgium, as well as a Degree in Tropical Medicine from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. Aerts is a member of the Advisory Boards of the Global Health Group of University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), the OECD Network of Foundations Working in Development (NetFWD), a Member of the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development and of the Governing Council of the Technology Bank for the LDCs.