I am interested in transforming knowledge into action and especially the diffusion of innovations. While I hope to make some contribution to knowledge creation, I have more experience and skills in advancing knowledge utilization by policy makers and program administrators. Concerning knowledge creation, I am currently analyzing family planning through an equity lens using DHS data from the 44 country surveys that include asset index information. I will also explore the inequality of abortion use in those DHS-countries with good abortion statistics. Lastly, I will examine the “inverse equity hypothesis” using DHS data from surveys in countries that have had more than one DHS.

Much of my energy, however, will be devoted to promoting interventions with strong evidence of effectiveness, but which have not been adopted and/or funded by policy makers, e.g., family planning as a core component of post-abortion care programs. I also plan to work on identifying and filling evidence gaps. While some interventions with strong evidence bases are not adopted, other promising interventions have inadequate or the wrong type of evidence, e.g., the epidemiological based relationship between under 5 mortality and birth spacing. I will be less engaged in conducting research than in identifying gaps and obtaining support for others to fill these gaps, utilizing my relationship with funding organizations.

health policy, reproductive health, family planning, HIV/AIDS, child survival, equity, abortion, maternal health, research utilization

Administrator’s Distinguished Career Service Award, USAID, 2003 Lifetime Recognition Award, Global Health Council, 2003 Presidential Rank Award, Meritorious Executive, 2001 USAID Group Award, Global and Legislative and Public Affairs Bureaus, 1997 USAID Superior Honor Award, 1995 Presidential Rank Award, Meritorious Executive, 1990 Presidential Rank Award, Distinguished Executive, 1988 Arthur S. Flemming Award, Science Category, 1977 National Institute for Mental Health Fellowship, 1966 - 1968

D. Gillespie, "Men gone wild? The politics of population control," The Lancet, Vol 372. August 2, 2008, pp. 363-364. H. Bradley, A. Bedada, A. Tsui, H. Brahmbhatt, D. Gillespie, A. Kidanu, "HIV and family planning service integration and voluntary HIV counseling and testing client composition in Ethiopia," AIDS Care, 20 (1). January 2008, pp. 61-71.

H. Bradley, A. Bedada, H. Brahmbhatt, A. Kidanu, D. Gillespie, A. Tsui, "Educational attainment and HIV status among Ethiopian voluntary and testing clients," AIDS and Behavior, 11 (5). September 207, pp. 731-742.

D. Gillespie, review of J.F. Kantner and A. Kantner's, "The Struggle for International Consensus on Population and Development," Studies in Family Planning, 38 (3). September 2007.

D. Gillespie, S. Ahmed, A. Tsui, S. Radloff, “Unwanted fertility among the poor: an inequity?” Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 85 (2). February 2007, pp. 100-107.

D. Gillespie, "Contraceptive Use and the Poor: A Matter of Choice?" PlosMedicine, 4 (2). February 2007.

J. Bryce, S. El Arifeen, Z.A. Bhutta, R.E. Black, M. Claeson, D. Gillespie, et.al., “Getting it right for children: a review of UNICEF joint health and nutrition strategy for 2006-15,” The Lancet, Vol. 368. September 2, 2006, pp. 817-819.

D. Gillespie, “Buying health in Honduras,” The Lancet, Vol. 364. December 4, 2004, pp. 1996-1997.

D. Gillespie, “The meeting that did not happen: Cairo, 10 years on,” The Lancet, Vol. 364. October 30, 2004, pp.1566-1577.

D. Gillespie, “Whatever happened to family planning and for that matter, reproductive health?” International Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 30, No. 1. March 2004, pp. 34-38.

D. Gillespie, “Making abortion rare and safe,” The Lancet, Vol. 362. January 3, 2004, p. 72.

M. Claeson, D. Gillespie (corresponding author), H. Mshinda, H. Troedsso, and C. Victora, “Knowledge into action for child survival,” The Lancet, Vol. 362. July 26, 2003, pp. 323-327.