We are pleased to announce that, as of June 2025, PJ Hooper has been appointed Director of the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), a program of the Task Force for Global Health. PJ brings nearly two decades of experience in global health and neglected tropical disease (NTD) programs, including more than 15 years dedicated to trachoma elimination. Her appointment follows an extensive search process, during which stakeholders from across the global health community voiced strong support for her leadership.

As Director, PJ oversees ITI’s global efforts to eliminate trachoma in partnership with Pfizer, the Task Force for Global Health, ministries of health, the World Health Organization, and a broad network of non-governmental organizations and implementing partners. She is responsible for the overall management of the program, including strategic and technical leadership, personnel and financial oversight, and serving as the primary liaison to collaborating stakeholders.

PJ’s leadership within the trachoma and NTD communities is well established. She currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the International Coalition for Trachoma Control (ICTC), following her terms as Chair (2023–2025) and Vice Chair (2021–2023). Through ICTC, she has championed collaboration across sectors, including NGOs, donors, industry, and academia, to drive progress toward the global elimination of trachoma as a public health problem by 2030.

PJ first joined ITI in 2009 to manage an operational research grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and lead external relations for the program. She went on to serve as ITI’s Deputy Director, providing strategic guidance for the Pfizer donation of azithromycin. Her career has also included roles at the Neglected Tropical Diseases Support Center, the Mectizan® Donation Program, the Lymphatic Filariasis Support Center, and the Global Alliance to Eliminate LF.

PJ is known for her ability to foster strong, collaborative relationships across the global health ecosystem. She brings a proven track record of working with national health programs, WHO, academia, and other key stakeholders to advance shared goals.

She holds a Master of Arts in Political Science with a focus on International Relations and Comparative Politics from the University of Georgia, a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs and French from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a graduate certificate in Core Public Health Concepts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Please join us in celebrating PJ’s appointment as Director of ITI! Her passion, leadership, and deep commitment to the mission make this an exciting new chapter for the program and for the global movement to eliminate trachoma.