Ulysses Burley, III, MD

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,

Program Director, ELCA Strategy on HIV and AIDS

Houston, TX native Ulysses W. Burley III studied at Morehouse College and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM). Ulysses previously held an associate position at Northwestern University FSM Allergy, Asthma and Immunology clinical research unit and currently serves as Program Director for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Strategy on HIV/AIDS.

Although his primary training is in scientific research, public health, and clinical medicine, Ulysses has dedicated much of his time to a vocation of social justice advocacy through the church and community. His primary work with faith groups has been in the area of HIV and AIDS awareness, but also includes mass incarceration, gender and racial justice, food security, and peace in the Middle East. He has been a guest at both the White House and United Nations for consultations on the intersections of faith and HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health rights, respectively. Ulysses is an appointee to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS (PACHA). He is the ELCA Executive Committee member to the World Council of Churches (WCC), and he serves on the WCC Gender Advisory Group and Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance’s (EAA) Access to HIV/AIDS Treatment Working Group.

He is also a monthly contributor to the online magazine, “The Salt Collective” and has published writings in both medical science and advocacy. When Ulysses is not working or traveling, he serves as a mentor to fatherless teens in Chicago with GRIP Outreach for Youth©, where he is a member of their Board of Directors.