Christopher Elias, President of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Development Program, leads efforts in integrated and innovative delivery, finding creative new ways to ensure that solutions and products get into the hands of people in developing countries who need them most. Focusing on areas with the potential for high-impact, sustainable solutions that can reach hundreds of millions of people, Christopher oversees Global Development’s portfolio in Agriculture Development; Family Planning; Financial Services for the Poor; Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health; Polio; Vaccine Delivery; and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene. Christopher is a physician and public health specialist. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, he served as the President and CEO of PATH, an international, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of people around the world by advancing technologies, strengthening systems and encouraging healthy behaviors. He currently serves on various advisory boards, including those of the Nike Foundation and the Duke Global Health Institute. Christopher received his MD from Creighton University, trained in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and pursued an MPH at the University of Washington. He has been a fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Creighton University in 2009.