Aileen Marty, M.D. ’82, B.S. ’78, a global leader in infectious disease, tropical medicine and outbreak response, has spent more than 45 years shaping public health through groundbreaking research, diagnostic innovation and leadership. Her work has been instrumental in addressing some of the world’s most critical health crises. 

Dr. Marty credits her training at the Miller School for equipping her with the skills to navigate both global health policy and hands-on practice in some of the world’s most remote regions. 

“I learned from mentors who were giants in the field,” said Dr. Marty, a member of the Miller School’s Hall of Fame. “They taught me to navigate both advanced medical settings and challenging environments.” 

As she began medical school in 1978, Dr. Marty also enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where she served for 25 years. Her military career was defined by leadership in public health policy, including spearheading medical responses to biowarfare and bioterrorism and creating training programs for military and government agencies. 

Early collaborations with experts at the National Institutes of Health solidified her expertise in managing complex infectious diseases. Her focus shifted to high-risk pathogens like anthrax and plague, particularly during the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Gulf War. 

Dr. Marty has also worked with the World Health Organization on global health emergencies, including the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria and the Zika virus in Miami, and mass gathering medicine. She is one of the few foreign-animal-disease diagnosticians, specializing in diseases like bird flu. 

Her leadership was crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, when her expert guidance and clear communication made her a trusted figure at all levels of the response. 

“We live in a complex, interconnected world,” Dr. Marty said. “It’s vital to understand how disease impacts society, not just individuals, and to equip people with truthful information to reduce risks.” 

Now a distinguished professor of infectious disease at Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Dr. Marty also serves as co-editor-in-chief of One Health, the journal of the International Federation for Tropical Medicine. 

Dr. Marty’s legacy is a testament to the power of service, expertise and leadership in public health.  

“I want to leave the world a little better than when I arrived,” she said.