Michael E. Herce, MD, MPH, MSCR
Associate Director of International Operations, Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases
Director of Implementation Science, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
Associate Professor of Medicine
Areas of Interest
My academic interests broadly relate to promoting global health equity by studying ways to improve implementation of HIV, tuberculosis, and COVID-19 clinical and public health programs and strategies to increase access to prevention, treatment, and care for marginalized populations disproportionately affected by these epidemics in the US and globally.
About
Dr. Herce applies the lens of implementation science to improve access to quality healthcare for populations who have been disproportionately burdened by HIV, tuberculosis, and COVID-19. In his research and programmatic work, he uses implementation and operations research methods to elucidate the effects of evidence-based practices and implementation strategies under “real-world” conditions and identify areas for improvement and innovation. Most of his work has been focused on underserved and historically marginalized populations, including incarcerated and justice-involved people, in Malawi and Zambia where I have lived and worked for over a decade.
In the news
What is the future of global health? In April, attendees of the 2026 annual conference for the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) explored possible answers to this question. The Washington, DC meeting, which assembled leaders from academia, government, the private sector, and other organizations, reflected CUGH’s commitment to strengthening global health through partnership … Read more The UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases contributed to the 2026 Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Conference in Washington, D.C., April 9. Two global health fellowships were highlighted for their impact on global health research training, ethical leadership, and international collaboration. The UJMT D43 Program and the China Medical Board (CMB) … Read more Chapel Hill, NC – New research published in JAMA Network Open highlights a critical challenge facing people living with HIV as they re-enter the community after incarceration. A Zambia study led by Michael Herce, MD, MPH, MSCR, an investigator at the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases—in collaboration with colleagues from the Centre for Infectious … Read more Global health issues may seem geographically distant, but they directly impact our local community through travel, immigration, emerging infectious diseases, and interconnected global economies. The ‘global’ in global health refers to the scope of problems, not just their location, which can be infectious diseases with pandemic potention. UNC’s global and local engagements with resource-limited settings, … Read more
2026 CUGH Conference: This Global Health Researcher Translated Lessons Learned in Zambia to North Carolina
Leadership in Global Health Training on Display
Study Shows Clear Link Between Alcohol Use and Poor HIV Outcomes After Prison Release
How Global Health Impacts Health Care in North Carolina
Education
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Undergraduate
University of Virginia
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Medical School
Yale School of Medicine
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Residency
Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
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Fellowship
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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MPH
Harvard School of Public Health
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MSCR
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill