Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is the 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 twice before the United States Congress, been awarded the Freedom of Expression Courage Award by PEN America, and has been named one of Timemagazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for her role in uncovering the Flint Water Crisis and leading recovery efforts. She has appeared on countless media outlets championing the cause of children in Flint and beyond. She is the founding donor of the Flint Child Health and Development Fund.
She received her bachelor’s and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Michigan and her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She completed her residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, where she was chief resident. She is currently an associate professor of pediatrics and human development at MSU College of Human Medicine.
She is the author of the widely acclaimed and bestselling book and the 2019-2020 Great Michigan Reads selection, What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City.