Dr. Cunningham is the Associate Dean of Global Health at the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Director of the Institute of Global Health, and a clinical professor at the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Michigan State University (MSU). In his current capacity as Associate Dean, he is responsible for developing global health programs on behalf of the four health care colleges at MSU for the education, research, and cultural awareness of their graduate students. He oversees and participates in Study Abroad programs for pre-professional students interested in delivering health care globally in 12 countries and three continents. Active programs include China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Guatemala, Malawi, Mexico (Merida), Nepal, Peru, and South Korea. As the Medical Director of Occupational Medicine at Metro Health Hospital, he continues to practice clinically and is committed to overseas mission trips. He volunteers as a need assessor for Project C.U.R.E., an international humanitarian relief organization that sends donated medical equipment to over 130 countries worldwide.
Trained as an emergency medicine physician with an emphasis on trauma, he has decades of international collaboration experience in various health care settings, such as emergency medicine, primary care, humanitarian projects, and public health education. He has also taken training by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to identify and support disaster management systems.
Past appointments include appointments by former Governor Granholm and Governor Snyder to serve as a member of the Licensing Board of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, State of Michigan. He is currently a Fellow in the Federation of State Medical Boards. He is active at the national level for the American Osteopathic Association, serving on the Bureau of Socioeconomic Affairs, Bureau of Education, and chairing the Bureau of Hospitals.