Mona Hanna-Attisha

Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, FAAP is founder and director of the Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, an innovative and model public health program in Flint, Michigan. A pediatrician, scientist, activist and author, Dr. Hanna-Attisha has testified three times before the United States Congress, awarded the Freedom of Expression Courage Award by PEN America, named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, and most recently recognized as one of USA Today’s Women of the Century for her role in uncovering the Flint water crisis and leading recovery efforts. A frequent contributor to national outlets including the New York Times and Washington Post, she has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, BBC and countless other media outlets championing the cause of children in Flint and beyond. She is the founding donor of the Flint Child Health and Development Fund (flintkids.org). A Covid-19 survivor, Dr. Hanna-Attisha has donated her convalescent plasma three times while continuing to advocate for health and racial equity.

With concentrations in environmental health and health policy, Dr. Hanna-Attisha received her bachelor’s and master's of public health degrees from the University of Michigan. She completed her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MSU CHM) and her residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, where she was chief resident. She is a Charles Stewart Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Human Development at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

She is the author of the widely-acclaimed and bestselling book What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City.