Back in 1860, American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that “the first wealth is health,” a phrase indicating the wellbeing of a community is directly connected to its potential for economic prosperity. The idea was not new — Emerson drew on work from the Roman poet Virgil more than 2,000 years before — and it remains critical in today’s globalized and interconnected world.

A lack of health care infrastructure — hospitals, doctors, medications, training — often creates barriers to receiving quality and timely care; causes can range from environmental threats to poverty to political instability. The World Health Organization reports at least half of the world’s population cannot obtain essential health services, stacking the deck against economic progress.

Daniel Zuniga, a graduate of Florida State University’s Program in Neuroscience, has made it his life’s mission is to tackle these issues head-on.