Les Roberts

Les Roberts is Professor at Columbia University’s Program on Forced Migration and Health. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and did a post-doctorate fellowship in epidemiology at the Centers for Disease Control’s Refugee Health Unit, afterwards worked for WHO in Rwanda during the 1994 Civil war, and then for the International Rescue Committee.

Les had led over 50 surveys in 17 countries, mostly measuring mortality in times of war. In recent years he has taken part in studies to measure mortality in Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Zimbabwe, and Central African Republic. His present research focuses on developing methods to document human rights violations, and on statistically representative surveillance methodologies. He teaches classes on applied epidemiology, water and sanitation, and on documenting human rights abuses.

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