Richard Reithinger Joins RTI International's Global Health Group as Senior Director of Infectious Disease Programs

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Richard Reithinger, who has 15 years of experience in international project management and infectious disease prevention and control, has joined RTI International as senior director of infectious disease programs for RTI's Global Health Group.

In this position, Reithinger will provide strategic, technical and operational leadership and oversight for infectious disease programs in malaria, vector management and neglected tropical diseases. Reithinger's experience includes comprehensive technical and practical experience in vector-borne disease epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control.

Reithinger comes to RTI from USAID/Ethiopia where he was team leader and malaria advisor for the President's Malaria Initiative. During the four years he worked with USAID/Ethiopia, Reithinger implemented the scale-up of anti-malarial programs including indoor residual spraying of households with insecticide, insecticide-treated bednets, rapid diagnostic testing and health education.

Prior to his position with USAID/Ethiopia, Reithinger worked as a senior study director with Westat in Rockville, Md., and as a technical coordinator with HealthNet TPO in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kenya, Sudan and South Sudan; he also worked for several years in Latin America.

Reithinger is an honorary senior lecturer at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and an adjunct assistant professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is also an associate editor of BMC Infectious Diseases, an editorial board member of the Transactions of the Royal Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and a guest editor for PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Reithinger has authored or co-authored more than 75 published peer-reviewed papers.

Reithinger earned a doctoral degree in epidemiology and a master's degree in medical entomology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; he also has a postgraduate diploma in economics and a bachelor's degree in biology and psychology from the University of Sussex.

Reithinger will be based in RTI's Washington D.C. office.