Craig Spencer, MD, MPH, is an emergency medicine physician and Associate Professor of the Practice at Brown University School of Public Health. For over two decades, he has worked at the intersection of global health, humanitarian response, and international security. He has led fieldwork across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America, including coordinating the epidemiological response to Ebola in Guinea. Dr. Spencer’s scholarship focuses on the historical determinants of health and using lessons from past pandemics to inform resilient global health systems. He is a vocal advocate for equity in health access and preparedness, frequently contributing to The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The New England Journal of Medicine. A Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an advisor to Doctors Without Borders, he bridges clinical expertise, policy engagement, and frontline experience to inform strategies that address global health threats and their implications for diplomacy and international affairs.
Craig Spencer’s research centers on strengthening global health systems through historical insight, field-tested strategies, and equity-driven policy. His academic work examines how past epidemics and humanitarian emergencies — from 19th-century pandemics to modern crises like Ebola in West Africa — inform contemporary preparedness and response. As Associate Professor of Practice at Brown University, Spencer integrates rigorous historical analysis into public health education, highlighting systemic lessons in outbreak management, risk communication, and resilient health infrastructure. His publications advocate for dismantling structural barriers to equitable healthcare and promoting global vaccine justice and access to medical countermeasures. With extensive field experience coordinating Ebola responses in Guinea and deploying to humanitarian settings across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America, Spencer bridges scholarly insight with frontline leadership. His research informs policy dialogues, advising both governmental bodies and international NGOs, and underscores the critical link between historical perspective, operational readiness, and inclusive global health strategies.
1. Spencer, C., Bhadelia, N., Cameron, B. A Tale of Two U.S. Global Health Security Futures—Withdraw or Evolve? Vaccine. Forthcoming, July 2025.
2. Spencer, C. Ebola and a Decade of Disparities — Forging a Future for Global Health Equity. New England Journal of Medicine. January 23, 2025. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2413298
3. Spencer, C. Health and Medical Considerations, in Good Practice Review 8 Revised Edition: Operational security management in violent environments. Humanitarian Practice Network/Overseas Development Institute. Forthcoming Summer 2025.
4. Spencer, C, et al. 13 Ways to Save Health and Science. New York Times Opinion. May 19, 2025.
5. Spencer, C. The Diseases Are Coming. The Atlantic. March 10, 2025.
6. Spencer, C., Bhadelia, N. The DRC ‘mystery illness’ shows why the U.S. can’t ‘pause’ infectious disease work. STATNews. December 19, 2024.
7. Spencer, C. Marburg in Rwanda: What to Expect. Think Global Health—Council on Foreign Relations. October 11, 2024. 8. Spencer, C. The Kaiser Strike Isn’t Your Typical Labor Action. New York Times. October 5, 2023.