Allyala Nandakumar, PhD, is a health-financing expert who's served as the chief economist at USAID.
DALLAS—The Vision Impact Institute (VII) announced two new additions to its global advisory board. Allyala Nandakumar, PhD, and Serge Resnikoff, MD, PhD, were approved as board members at the organization's meeting in July. Dr. Nandakumar brings his expertise as an internationally recognized health-financing expert to the board. Currently, he is Professor of the Practice at Brandeis University where he is the director of the master of science program in global health and development. In January 2018, Nandakumar was appointed the first chief economist at the office of the global AIDS coordinator at the U.S. Department of State. He served previously as the chief economist for the Global Health Bureau at USAID.

Serge Resnikoff, MD, PhD, has led the WHO's program for the Prevention of Blindness and Deafness.


Dr. Resnikoff, a well-known global health advocate, has devoted his career to highlighting health issues in a number of different venues including the World Health Organization (WHO), corporations, local and national governments and academic settings. While at the WHO, Resnikoff coordinated programs aimed at preventing and managing non-communicable diseases. Most recently he led the WHO's program for the Prevention of Blindness and Deafness, which aimed to make essential eye and ear care to all.

With the addition of these newest members, Professor Kovin Naidoo, Essilor's newly appointed senior vice president, 2.5 NVG Inclusive Business, Philanthropy and Social Impact, will end his time on the board.