Disease Knows No Politics

""After 13 years of badgering my longtime friend, Dr. Elias Zerhouni, to bring his unbelievable immigrant story and transformative lessons to the page, he finally has. To ensure that immigrants of talent, ""the Dr. Zerhounis of tomorrow,"" remain in our country and contribute to revitalizing our economy, society, and the institutions we hold dear, America must supply visas to qualified foreign graduates of its universities and graduate programs. If our country wants the best minds of tomorrow, we need to help them stay here.""--Bruce Holbrook, president at Bruce Holbrook Consulting, Inc.; William & Mary 2022 Alumni Medallion Award Recipient ""Besides being a first-class intellect and scientific leader, Elias Zerhouni brought to NIH, as its director, a system of much needed, transparent, and visionary administrative and organizational structure. The NIH has been much better off because of his vision and efforts.""--Tony Fauci, former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director ""Dr. Elias Zerhouni has, in this unforgettable memoir, revealed the life lessons that have propelled him from mountaintop to mountaintop across an outstanding career spent in the service of humankind. His inspirational journey is a call to action for those who dream of bettering the world and, in doing so, forging a life of adventure and hope.""--Ernesto Bertarelli, co-chair of the Bertarelli Foundation; chair of B-FLEXION ""Dr. Elias Zerhouni's case for keeping politics and special interests out of medicine and scientific research could not be timelier--or more needed.""--Michael Bloomberg, founder, Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies; WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases & Injuries ""Elias Zerhouni is a legendary entrepreneur who has shaped our modern world profoundly. This is an important book because it shares stories and lessons from his life that reveal the human behind the legend. May we all gain a spark from Zerhouni's fire to light the way for our own lives too.""--Victor Hwang, founder & CEO of Right to Start ""Elias Zerhouni's maxim to lead with 'heart, spine and brain, in that order, ' comes to life through his telling of the challenges he faced and overcame throughout his extraordinary career to date. His memoir is an authentic, morally grounded and significant read. It's also a great pleasure, as love of family and openness to learning and mentoring are in the forefront. Few people have succeeded as has Dr. Zerhouni in navigating political realities in putting research and innovation to work to benefit people worldwide.""--Mary Woolley, president of Research!America ""I have admired Elias Zerhouni and his insights into individuals and institutions for nearly 30 years. This delightful memoir details how these abilities evolved and enabled him to lead a remarkable life, full of lasting impacts on the many organizations he touched.""--Jeremy Berg, former editor-in-chief of Science; former National Institute of General Medical Sciences director ""Zerhouni is a problem-solver, a fixer, and a grower . . . a businessman with an MD. I once told him early in our relationship that he should be running a billion-dollar company. . . My only regret is that George Bush nabbed him before we had the chance to build the largest radiology company in the country.""--Bob Carfagno, former CEO of American Radiology Services ""Disease Knows No Politics by Elias Zerhouni, is two books in one. The first is the autobiography of a most unusual man, who rose from a middle-class family in colonial Algeria to be head of one of the most prestigious government health agencies in the world. The second is a series of managerial studies, what to do and what not to do, spanning many decades and countless organizations. As a former department head, I found this fascinating. I only wish this book had been available thirty-five years ago."" --T. Windsor Fields, professor emeritus and former head, Department of Economics, James Madison University ""Disease Knows No Politics is an absolute must-read. Dr. Elias Zerhouni's inspiring memoir of resilience, dedication to science, and heartfelt service is nothing short of extraordinary. His journey is a powerful tribute to the vital contributions of immigrants in shaping American innovation and offers timely insights into the lasting power of science and integrity in public health. Dr. Zerhouni is truly an American hero!""--Dr. Robert ""Navy Bob"" Roncska, retired nuclear Navy captain; former presidential military aide to President George W. Bush; esteemed author ""Disease Knows No Politics traces the arc of Elias Zerhouni's unique career and extraordinary immigrant journey. From humble beginnings in an Algerian village to his trials and triumphs leading America's biomedical empire, we glean pearls about leadership, integrity, and compassion--virtues Elias Zerhouni exemplifies as few others could. For those interested in medicine, health, and science, Disease Knows No Politics is a must-read."" --Thomas Insel, former National Institute of Mental Health director; author of Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health Disease Knows No Politics is, by any definition, a success story. This memoir provides a roadmap on how to manage whatever circumstances life provides. The guiding theme is to develop basic principles which encourage positive interactions with others for the benefit of all parties involved. --Phil Frost, CEO and chairman of OPKO Health ""A brilliant inventor, engineer, physician, biomedical research scientist and entrepreneur, Elias Zerhouni personifies the American Dream as much as anyone I've known. His multidisciplinary leadership in academia, government and industry has contributed greatly not just to the adopted country he loves, but to all humanity. Elias is fearless where it counts--at the intersection of health policy and politics. His memoir will inspire anyone seeking to advance science and technology."" --Michael Milken, chairman of the Milken Institute; founder of the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream ""A fascinating study of the best human nature can achieve. Elias' well written memoir is a ""page turner!"" --Edward George, former founder and president of Virginia Oncology, the largest oncology practice in Virginia ""A modern-day Horatio Alger story, Dr. Elias Zerhouni's memoir charts his meteoric, inspirational rise through academic medicine, the National Institutes of Health, and the biopharma industry. His life story is an improbable tale of an empathetic, creative physician-scientist who came to the U.S. with next to nothing only a few hundred dollars in his pocket and has since revolutionized biomedical research and brought life-saving drugs to patients in need. The melting pot we call America has enabled his remarkable successes, yet this country has been immeasurably enriched by his pioneering contributions to biomedical research and global health."" --Gary Nabel, president and CEO of ModeX Therapeutics; chief innovation officer and board director of OPKO Health; former head of NIH's Vaccine Research Center ""Abraham Lincoln once said, ""Each one of you may have through this free government which we have enjoyed, an open field and a fair chance for your industry, enterprise and intelligence."" Dr. Elias Zerhouni, and his memoir, embody this principle, and it is individuals like him who contribute to making the United States the great nation it is today. I feel incredibly fortunate to have met Elias early in my career and will always be grateful for the trust and confidence he placed in me."" --Mark Devlin, former president of Computerized Imaging Reference Systems; current president of Sun Nuclear's phantoms and lasers division ""An amazing career for an amazing person, with unusual vitality and purpose. A level-5 leader."" --Marty Pomper, director of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging at the Johns Hopkins Medical School; professor at the Johns Hopkins Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering ""Both timely and timeless, Disease Knows No Politics captures the essence of the American Dream. This memoir also reveals the blueprint for leadership and innovation that has served Dr. Elias Zerhouni well through countless triumphs in business, government, medicine, and science.""--Steven Rales, chair of the board and co-founder of Danaher; Oscar-winning film producer ""Braiding themes of scientific discovery and values-driven leadership, this book tells a life story of a true renaissance man. Dr. Elias Zerhouni has left his mark and continues to inspire the next generation of leaders in science, politics, academia, and business."" --Amelia M. Arria, PhD, professor and associate dean for Strategic Initiatives, University of Maryland School of Public Health ""Dr. Zerhouni is an expert medical scientist, innovator, and entrepreneur whose skills set him apart from others. This memoir illustrates his inspiring life journey with compelling detail. It's a must-read for all young scientists seeking to make an impact."" --Ed Miller, former CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine; former dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine ""Dr. Zerhouni's immigrant journey, brought to life with engaging detail in his memoir, Disease Knows No Politics, is the American dream at its best. I'm grateful for his outstanding service to our country, and all he did to transform the NIH. We can all learn from the lessons in this book, and Dr. Zerhouni's diverse life experiences, including the way he worked with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to obtain bipartisan support for the NIH Reform Act, key legislation that shaped the NIH to meet the challenges of a new century."" --Tommy Thompson, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; former president of the University of Wisconsin System; former four-term governor of Wisconsin ""Elias Zerhouni takes us through the powerful story of his life, from the shimmering shores of Algiers to the lofty halls of the U.S. Capitol, illustrating crucial lessons along the way. He wisely uses his memoir to further acquaint readers with the power and purpose of the NIH, an institution which profoundly shapes biomedical research throughout the United States and the larger world."" --Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); executive publisher Science Family of Journals at AAAS ""Elias Zerhouni writes compellingly, and with remarkable modesty, candor, and good humor, about his extraordinary successes as a medical scientist, practitioner, executive, and engineer in academia, government, and industry. That he came to this country from Algeria enhances his compelling story and reminds us of how great our country can be."" --Harold Varmus, former NIH director; Nobel Laureate ""In Disease Knows No Politics, Dr. Elias Zerhouni recounts his adventurous path from a childhood marked by war in Algeria to the highest levels of scientific achievement at Johns Hopkins to the service of the United States and the global community as director of the National Institutes of Health. Zerhouni's vivid memoir of a life devoted to pathbreaking science and its translation directly into the lives of patients and citizens should be read by anyone interested in sound policymaking and audacious leadership for the common good.""--Ronald J. Daniels, president of Johns Hopkins University; former provost of the University of Pennsylvania ""Readers will find meaning and unforgettable lessons within the life and journey of Dr. Elias Zerhouni, a gifted immigrant physician-scientist, statesman, entrepreneur, and industry leader. From Algeria to the NIH, this memoir spans the American dream."" --Richard Klausner, former National Cancer Institute director; former executive director of the Gates Foundation ""The late Albert Szent-Györgyi, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937, once asserted, ""Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought."" This quote encapsulates who Elias is: one who sees solutions, where others only see problems. An uncommon mind."" --Dr. William R. Brody, former president of Johns Hopkins University; former president of the Salk Institute ""This timely memoir delves into the worlds of science, medicine, business, and academia through the unique, paradigm-shifting lens of Dr. Zerhouni's remarkable life journey. Disease Knows No Politics is both memoir and manifesto, reminding us of the need to keep partisan politics out of the treatment of disease and the importance of vigilantly protecting the NIH from encroaching ideological forces."" --Jim Greenwood, former Congressman; president and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization ""Within 15 minutes of meeting him, it was clear to me that Dr. Elias Zerhouni was an idea-engine in a vehicle that was driving its chassis into glancing collisions with traditional guardrails. Disease Knows No Politics brings readers the life story of a tireless innovator and brave leader, driven by compassion and curiosity, whose focused intellectual energy transformed me and countless others who worked alongside him.""--Elliot McVeigh, co-director of the Center for Cardiovascular Biomedical Imaging at UC San Diego; former professor and chairman of Department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University