March 08, 2021

HSP Announces New Associates

Despite the pandemic, HSP has continued to grow in order to help serve so many communities around the world by building their health capacity, combating antimicrobial resistance, and increasing biosafety and biosecurity.

Given HSP’s recent expansion, we have brought on two more very talented individuals to help us on our mission. Our new Associates, Deanna Pistono and Anke Kotze have already made great contributions to our team and we are looking forward to all they will accomplish during their tenures with HSP.

Below is some more information about both Deanna and Anke:

Deanna Pistono

As Health Security and Diplomacy Associate, Deanna supports administrative and programmatic efforts via research, writing, and project development. Prior to 2020, when she came to work at Health Security Partners, Deanna graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in Government; having interned at the National Organization for Women during her years as an undergraduate. She received her CELTA certificate to teach English as a second language in Prague in 2019 and worked as a language teacher in the Czech Republic for several months.

Having lived in China for many years, including during the 2002 SARS outbreak, Deanna developed early interests in public health and global cooperation that were further encouraged when she took a course on global health security and diplomacy, taught by Health Security Partners’ Dr. Jason Rao.

Anke Kotze

Anke Kotze recently joined Health Security Partners as a Seasonal Associate from Cornell University, where she is currently completing her Master of Public Health with a concentration in infectious disease epidemiology. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology and a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Microbiology, both from Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Anke has worked with many NGOs and NPOs over the last year to help combat the current COVID-19 pandemic through disaster management, which added to her interest in health security. Her other interests include but are not limited to health policy, global health security, sustainable development, disaster risk management and science communication. Anke is currently making her way through Washington D.C. to find the best coffee shops.

If you have contact with either of them, please give them a big welcome!