Meet our Fellows
We are delighted and privileged to have, as of now, a remarkable group of 55 fellows from around the world, representing diverse backgrounds across the public, private, and civil society sectors. Their wide-ranging expertise and global perspectives enrich the Health Diplomacy Initiative.
Read more about each fellow below.
Our Fellows 2025
Alegnta Gebreyesus Guntie
Health focal at the Permanent Mission of Ethiopia to the UN Office in GenevaMs Alegnta Gebreyesus Guntie is a physician and a health diplomacy professional currently serving at the Permanent Mission of Ethiopia to the UN Office in Geneva. She is an immediate past coordinator of the Africa group in Geneva, making significant contributions to advancing regional interests through international legal instruments in health and other representations. Prior to her current role, Alegnta held various
leadership positions as a policymaker, clinician, educator, and quality improvement lead. Throughout her career, she has been a strong advocate for resilient health systems and their impact, bringing effective leadership, systems thinking, and a focus on sustainability to her work.
Alex Wade
Senior Global Health Advocacy and Policy Specialist – MSFMr Alex Wade is a public health expert with over 18 years of experience in the humanitarian health sector. For nine years, he helped implement MSF’s medical programs, overseeing responses in both stable and conflict settings to infectious disease outbreaks, acute malnutrition, displaced populations, and gender-based violence. In 2021, he earned a master’s in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with distinction. After a year overseeing disaster response programs across Africa with the British Red Cross, Alex returned to MSF as a Senior Global Health Advocacy and Policy Specialist.
Angela Chang
Associate Professor - University of Southern Denmark / Danish Centre for Health EconomicsDr Angela Y. Chang is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark. Her research lies in the areas of global health, health economics, and health metrics. Her work includes measuring burden of disease, improving measures of gender inequality in health, measuring adult mortality inequality, and studying youth climate migration in Uganda. She is a member of the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health and the Danish Expert Group on Global Health. Angela received her master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, doctoral degree from Harvard University, and postdoctoral training at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
Ann Touneh Dandridge
Senior Global Health Policy Advisor Global Health Security and Diplomacy Bureau U.S. Department of StateMs Ann Touneh Dandridge advances efforts to build the U.S. diplomatic workforce’s capacity to elevate global health security as a core component of U.S. national security and foreign policy. The Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy leads engagement to strengthen the global health security architecture and international cooperation, and prepare for, prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Ms. Dandridge has served for fifteen years in both the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She began her career in community-based non-profit programs serving youth. In any role, she builds trust and leverages the resilience of teams to tackle big challenges.
Bhavya Durgesh Nandini
Coordinator, Adolescents and Youth Constituency – PMNCHMs Bhavya Durgesh Nandini is a passionate advocate and youth leader in adolescent health and well-being, with eight years of experience driving change across diverse geographies. She currently serves as Coordinator of the Adolescents and Youth Constituency at PMNCH, hosted by WHO, amplifying adolescent and youth voices in global health. Bhavya has been working with national and global partners, including youth-led organizations in Asia and Africa to advance adolescent health and well-being nationally and globally. Committed to meaningful youth engagement, gender equality, and advancing young people’s rights, she strives to create a future where these values are the norm and not the exception.
Cecilia Wanjala
Ag. CEO – Kenya BioVax InstituteDr Cecilia Wanjala is the Acting Chief Executive Officer at Kenya BioVax Institute. She holds an MBA (Strategic Management) with a background training in Pharmacy from the University of Nairobi. She has vast experience in the Health industry, providing policy advisory services in strategy development to improve service delivery. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in innovation and research output commercialization having established successful start-up commercial enterprises within state corporations. Dr. Wanjala enjoys an extensive network of stakeholders cutting across the public and private sectors in the region and globally. Her major achievement is leading the development of the concept note and pitching the business case for the establishment of local capacity for human vaccine manufacturing in Kenya. She is passionate about sustainable local manufacturing capacity in Africa and has co-authored three chapters on this subject in the book Cancer Care in Pandemic Times - Building Inclusive Local Health Security in Africa and India, an open access Palgrave Macmillan publication.
Clélia-Elsa Froguel
Senior Director, Global Policy – AstraZenecaMs Clélia-Elsa Froguel is a Senior Director for Global Policy & Advocacy at AstraZeneca. She is also currently a Global Health lecturer at Sciences Po Paris and serves on the board of a UK Breast Cancer charity. With a background in management consulting and health policy, she started her career at Ernst & Young, working with the UK Government, global health organisations and pharmaceutical companies. She then gained experience in health diplomacy at the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, where she worked on resource mobilisation, health digitalisation and establishing public private partnerships for malaria elimination. She holds dual citizenship from the UK and France; and studied at King’s College London & Sciences Po Paris.
Eva Turk
Secretary - Ministry of Health of the Republic of SloveniaDr Eva Turk works in Slovenia’s Minister’s Office, focusing on Health Technology Assessment and health literacy strategy. As a Senior Researcher at the Center for Digital Health and Social Innovation, FH St.Pölten, she specializes in Inclusive Digital Community Health. With expertise in HTA and digital health, she contributes to international health initiatives and serves on the board of HTA International. Eva has taught health policy at universities and founded the SanAstra Foundation to promote health literacy. Her roles in Women in Global Health and other organizations reflect her commitment to health equity. She holds an MBA and a PhD in Health Sciences. Originally from Slovenia, she has studied, lived and worked in Austria, Japan, Finland, Spain, Argentina, Syria and Norway.
Evie Gray
AMR Communications and Government Affairs Director – GSKMs Evie Gray is a government affairs and communications professional, focussed on global public health. She is currently working on antimicrobial resistance at GSK, the biopharmaceutical company, and led the company’s engagement at the UN HLM on AMR in 2024. Prior to this, Evie has worked on the introduction of innovative health products, including the world’s first malaria vaccine, and partnerships to deliver community health programs, with a focus on infectious diseases, such as malaria, TB, and HIV, as well as the impact of climate change on health.
Floramae Esapebong-Ray
CFR International Affairs Fellow Office of Health Diplomacy and Capacity Development, Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, U.S. Department of StateDr. Floramae Esapebong-Ray is a Doctor of Public Health with 15 years’ work experience, 13 of which have been in strategic leadership roles in diverse non-profit humanitarian and developmental settings. She is a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy. She specializes in Global Health Diplomacy and has been instrumental in strengthening the capacity of Foreign Service Officers and US GHD actors through research and practice. She is also an expert on strengthening global health systems, facilitating multi-stakeholder engagement, and leading large-scale projects in diverse humanitarian and developmental settings for improved population health outcomes. Floramae is a Member of the Delta Omega Honorary Society, which recognizes the “merit, dedication, outstanding scholarship, excellence, and devotion of an individual to quality in the field of public health and to protection and advancement of the health of all people.”
Gabriela Garcia Patiño
Architect of Cooperation Americas - IPPF Americas & The Caribbean Regional OfficeMs Gabriela Garcia Patino is the Architect of Cooperation Americas of IPPF Americas & The Caribbean, based in Mexico City. She is a public policy analyst and activist on sexual and reproductive rights with 15 years of experience in advocacy, capacity strengthening and accompaniment of civil society organisations. She has technical expertise in public health and women and girl’s rights including SRHR, child marriage, and HIV. In her current role, she supports the growth and development of Member Associations and Collaborative Partners and contributes to regional advocacy efforts.
Goran Zangana
Treasurer - Health Systems GlobalDr Goran Zangana is a medical doctor from the Kurdistan region of Iraq, with a background in clinical practice, health policy, and global health. He completed his initial medical training and practice in Iraq, followed by a Fulbright fellowship in the United States, where he earned a master’s degree in health policy at Emory University. He later completed a Ph.D. in international public health policy at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to joining the HSG board, Goran served on the governing board of Emerging Voices for Global Health and advised the Fragile and Conflict- Affected States Thematic Working Groups. He is an acting consultant in acute medicine in NHS Scotland, NHS Lothian lead for International Medical Graduates, and serves as NHS Scotland Global Citizenship Champion.
Guilherme Duarte
Executive Director - UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global HealthDr Guilherme Duarte is the Executive Director of UNITE, a global network of parliamentarians dedicated to advancing political leadership in global health. With a background in public health, diplomacy, and policymaking, he previously served as Health Counsellor at Portugal’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva (2020-2024), representing the country at WHO, UNITAID, and The Global Fund. He has also held national political roles in the Portuguese Ministry of Health and worked as a WHO consultant. Passionate about health governance and diplomacy, he focuses on strengthening political commitment to global health challenges through evidence-based policies and cross-sector partnerships.
Homoud Algarni
Director of Global Health Department - Public Health AgencyDr Homoud Algarni is a senior global health expert currently serving as Director of the Global Health Department at the Public Health Authority. He previously held the position of General Supervisor of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Program at the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia and has held various roles related to IHR capacities, including Director of Surveillance Centers at Points of Entry. Dr. Algarni earned his medical degree from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and holds a specialization in Family Medicine. He also obtained a Master’s degree in Global Public Health from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. His research focuses on global health, IHR, the epidemiology of MERS, and mass gathering preparedness for Hajj.
Isabel Mestres Mesa
CEO - City Cancer Challenger FoundationMs Isabel Mestres Mesa leads City Cancer Challenge (C/Can), championing city-based efforts for quality and equitable cancer care access. C/Can drives collaborative scalable community-led solutions in the private and public sectors. Passionately advancing public health, Isabel co-founded C/Can and now leads a global team transforming projects in 15 cities into dynamic solutions for cancer care access. A native of Barcelona, she holds an MBA from ESADE Business School and is multilingual.
Kate Smith
Acting Director - Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and TradeMs Kate Smith was selected as the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) nominee owing to her extensive experience in global health. This includes positions with the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), and over ten years at DFAT. Kate holds a Master of Public Health and has worked in challenging roles representing Australia in various bilateral and multilateral fora, with a particular focus on the Pacific and Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Solomon Islands, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Lili Wang
Associate researcher - Chinese Center for Disease Control and PreventionMs Lili Wang is an Associate Researcher at the Center for Global Public Health, China CDC, with 14 years of experience as a global health professional. She specializes in infectious disease control and tobacco control. Wang has coordinated collaborations with Sierra Leone, Africa CDC, and ASEAN to strengthen laboratory capacity, and emergency preparedness. She has also contributed to the innovation of public health goods. With expertise in multilateral partnerships and health diplomacy, she is dedicated to advancing global health security and equity through evidence- based strategies and cross-border collaboration.
Lina Balsyte
Healthcare & Life Science Lead Southeast Asia - Business SwedenMs Lina Balsyte is a global health and trade specialist with 13 years of experience at Business Sweden – The Swedish Trade & Invest Council – with postings in Vilnius, Dubai, Riyadh, and most recently Singapore, where she has spent the past 1.5 years leading healthcare and life sciences efforts across Southeast Asia. Passionate about creating ecosystems that drive progress and innovation in healthcare and society, she has led initiatives in cancer care, capacity building, healthcare infrastructure development, and digitalization across complex markets including Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and India. Currently, she guides teams working on Sweden’s Trade & Development assignments.
Malin Parkler
Managing Director/Country Manager – PfizerMs Malin Parkler is a public health and pharmaceutical leader with over two decades of experience in the industry. After a few years in research and education at the Unit for Preventive Nutrition at Karolinska Institutet, she transitioned to the pharmaceutical sector. She has spent 20 years at Pfizer, holding several positions, including Business Unit Head and Regional Sales Manager, Global Commercial Lead and has served as Country Manager for Sweden since 2014. Malin holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a Master of Medical Science from Karolinska Institutet. She has been a board member of the Swedish Pharma Association since 2014, serving as Vice Chair in 2018 and Chair from 2019 to 2024. She is also a member of AmCham Sweden’s Board of Directors since 2016 and served as Chair from 2019 to 2022.
Nicaise Ndembi
Deputy Director General and Inaugural Director - International Vaccine InstituteDr Nicaise Ndembi is the Deputy Director General and Regional Director of the IVI Africa Regional Office, based in Kigali, Rwanda. An accomplished virologist, he is also an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland and a Research Professor at Kanazawa University. Previously, he was Principal Advisor to Africa CDC’s Director General, where he established the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing.
Nojus Saad
President & CEO - Youth For Women FoundationDr. Nojus Saad is a global health diplomat, physician, and social entrepreneur advancing health justice and digital innovation. As a technical advisor to the World Health Organization, he co-develops health indicators adopted by WHO, UNFPA, the World Bank, and H6+ Partners, driving global policy accountability. Founder of Youth For Women Foundation, he launched 41 youthled initiatives, impacting over 16,500 individuals across Iraq, India, and France and securing nearly $100,000 to scale digital sexual, reproductive, and mental health interventions. A former Vice Chair of WHO’s PMNCH, he has led youth coalitions across 12 SWANA countries. An advisor to UNOPS Executive Leadership and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, he merges AI-driven mental healthcare with diplomacy. Dr. Saad is also an executive producer of TOXSICK, a global health justice whistleblowing film exposing health system failures in addressing benzodiazepine dependence.
Priya Kanayson
Director of Policy, Advocacy and Communications - Global Institute for Disease EliminationMs Priya Kanayson is a global health policy and advocacy specialist with extensive experience in cultivating relationships and driving policy outcomes in cross-cultural settings. She currently oversees the policy, advocacy and communications portfolios at the Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE) and is part of its senior leadership team. A founding member of the Women in Global Health UAE Chapter, Priya previously served as Policy & Advocacy Manager at the NCD Alliance, where she focused on integrating non-communicable diseases with HIV/ AIDS, tuberculosis, RMNCAH, universal health coverage, and health financing. She holds an MPH with Delta Omega distinction from New York University and a BSc in Biology from the University of California, San Diego.
Rachel Grant
Executive Director, External and Investor Relations – CEPIMs Rachel Grant has been at CEPI since 2017 and has just returned from a sabbatical studying for a Masters in Organisational Psychology. Her career has spanned work in public, private and charitable sectors. Her roles have included Global Director of Media Relations at McKinsey & Company and as former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Director of Communications. She spent a number of years as part of the Downing Street media operation and ran the UK Government’s media response to the 2007 outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease. Rachel also holds a Joint Honours Degree in History and English from Oxford University.
Shingai Machingaidze
Head of Africa Strategy & Engagement, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations CEPIShingai Machingaidze is an epidemiologist and global health expert. She has developed and led strategic public health programs as well as clinical research programs that build the capacity of scientists and institutions in Africa. She has published in leading scientific journals and is a member of several institutional, regional and global advisory boards including the Advisory Committee for the Clinical Trials Community and is currently the Co-Chair of the 100 Days Mission - Science Technology Expert Group (STEG). She was previously the Chief Science Officer Ag. for Africa CDC as well as the CPHIA Secretariat Lead and currently serves as the Head of Africa Strategy and Engagement at CEPI.
Sylvia Hamata
President - Independent Midwives Association of NamibiaMs Sylvia Penelao Hamata is an advocate for maternal and newborn health, gender equity, and transformative healthcare policies. With a background in midwifery, law, and governance, she has experience in global health advocacy and highlevel policy discussions. She has contributed to midwifery leadership, health governance policies, and reproductive health rights while working to ensure midwives are recognized in decision-making. Passionate about strategic diplomacy, health equity, and human rights, Sylvia uses advocacy and negotiation to amplify marginalized voices and create lasting policy impact in global health.
Takuma Kato
Counsellor - Permanent Mission of Japan to the United NationsDr Takuma Kato is a medical professional and public health expert with experience in health policy, global health, and clinical practice. He currently serves as Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations. Previously, at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan, he contributed to strengthening health systems and advancing the public health insurance fee schedule. He also played a vital role in Japan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. His international contributions include projects in Myanmar and Zambia, as well as engagement in global health forums such as the WHO. Dr. Kato earned his M.D. and Ph.D. from Keio University.
Violeta Canaves
Senior Advocacy Advisor – IPPFDr Violeta Canaves has dedicated her career to advancing health, human rights, and reproductive justice at international, regional, national, and local levels. Her work centers on leveraging human rights law to drive systemic change, collaborating with official actors and social movements alike. With deep expertise in sexual and reproductive health and rights, Violeta brings a rare blend of grassroots experience in Argentina with technical roles in global organizations like UNFPA and IPPF. She earned her JSD from Yale Law School, with a dissertation on human rights and access to abortion in Latin America, underscoring her commitment to health equity and transformative advocacy.
Will Hall
Director of External Affairs - CARB-XMr Will Hall is a Director of External Affairs at CARB-X, a global non-profit, which supports the development of new antibiotics and other life-saving products to combat drug-resistant bacteria. He joined CARB-X from Wellcome, where he was most recently Head of Global Government Relations. Before this, he led several key policy areas for Wellcome including access and epidemic preparedness, and worked at the heart of Wellcome’s international Covid-19 response. He began his career in finance before moving to the UK Treasury and advising ministers on a range of policy issues. He’s passionate about global health and AMR in particular, having worked on the Review on AMR in 2014, and co-authored a book on the issue in 2018. He holds an Executive MPP from the LSE.
Our Fellows 2024
Aldijana Osmanagic
Public Affairs Manager – Europe, Elekta ABMs Aldijana Osmanagic is Public Affairs Manager – Europe at Elekta AB. She has 15+ years of experience working in the health sector as an informal caregiver, patient/family group advocate, management consultant and in-house governmental affairs professional.
Alex Harris
Senior Global Health ConsultantMr Alex Harris is a senior global health consultant with over 20 years of experience leading, advising, and influencing a wide range of healthcare organisations in the governmental, not-for-profit, and private sectors. He was previously Managing Director of Wellcome gGmBH, where he oversaw Wellcome’s presence in the EU.
Amal Ali
Public Health Specialist & Technical Advisor, Ministry of Health Development, SomalilandDr Amal Ali is a Swedish-Somali national, qualified dentist, and public health specialist currently serving as the technical advisor to the Director General at the Ministry of Health Development in Somaliland. She has experience working closely with Africa CDC, WHO, Global Fund, Gavi, UNICEF, the World Bank Group, Mastercard Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to drive change within and strengthen vulnerable health systems.
Amélie Schmitt
Counsellor for health & social affairs (global health), Permanent Representation of France to the UNMs Amélie Schmitt is a seasoned professional in the field of global health, currently serving as a global health advisor at the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in Geneva. With a background in international political sciences, her career spans roles in NGOs, the French Government, WHO, and the International Labour Organization, focusing on communicable diseases, health systems, universal health coverage, non-communicable diseases, and occupational safety and health.
Andrew Tabel
Technical Officer Vaccines Logistics, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)Mr Andrew Tabel works as Vaccines Logistics Technical Officer with the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Papua New Guinea. A firm advocate of gender and climate change. he holds bachelor's degree in health management with 10 years of experience in managing public health and humanitarian development programs.
Anh Nguyen Wartel
Deputy Director General, Head of IVI Europe Regional OfficeDr Anh Nguyen Wartel has been the Deputy Director General and Head of the IVI Europe Regional Office in Stockholm since January 2023, having previously held roles as Head of Clinical Development and Regulatory and Deputy Director General of the CARE Unit. Anh has a background in research, medicine, and public health, and before IVI, held various positions in Epidemiology, Clinical R&D, and Medical Affairs for 15 years at Sanofi in Asia.
Brian Li Han Wong
Program Manager – International Politics, Leadership & Diplomacy for Health, SSE and Karolinska InstitutetDr Brian Li Han Wong is an interdisciplinary global public health professional currently working as Program Manager for the "International Politics, Leadership & Diplomacy for Health" project at the SSE & KI. An epidemiologist by training, Brian’s expertise is in digital public/mental health, global health diplomacy, and strategy advisory, having worked in the (inter-)governmental, not-for-profit, and private sectors with WHO, FIND, Public Health England, I-DAIR (now HealthAI), Transform Health, and The Lancet-FT Commission. An active champion of meaningful youth engagement in global health governance, Brian was involved in establishing the WHO Youth Council and has spearheaded capacity building initiatives for students and young professionals in global health policy, advocacy and diplomacy.
Can Soylu
Vice President – Middle East, Africa and Turkey, ElektaDr Can Soylu is a seasoned executive with a strong track record in leadership and business development, particularly in his role as Vice President for Elekta in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. Equipped with an Executive MBA and a civil engineering background, he has led teams across 80 countries to drive business success and has held key positions at General Electric Healthcare.
Connor Rochford
Senior Engagement Manager, McKinsey & CoDr Connor Rochford is a medical doctor and management consultant, with an academic and public policy background in AMR and global governance for health. Connor advises national governments, INGOs, and other social sector organisations on health security and health financing, supporting leaders to make both strategic decisions and drive operational improvements. He has worked as the Chief of Staff to Dame Sally Davies (UK Special Envoy on AMR) and Research Advisor to Dr Ngaire Woods (Oxford School of Government).
David Imbago Jacome
Director, YIELD HubDr. David Imbago is an Ecuadorian medical doctor and ardent advocate for sexual and reproductive rights, with a foundation in leadership roles within medical student associations and substantial engagement in safe and legal abortion initiatives through Ipas. His career has spanned various advocacy platforms, including the Youth Coalition and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, and he has applied his medical expertise in primary care within the Ecuadorian Amazon. As the YIELD Hub Director, David oversees project management and strategic implementation, continuing his commitment to health and advocacy.
Emma Wright
Executive CMO, EVP Regulatory Affairs/Quality Assurance, Molnlycke HealthcareDr Emma Wright is a customer centric Executive in Global MedTech leadership with over 25 years of experience in medical devices in both start-up and international companies, based in UK, US and most recently in Sweden. Her career has been focused on the development, commercialisation and clinical adoption of medical devices, and she has spent the last decade driving clinical, medical and health economic and government affairs with a passion for improving clinical and economic outcomes for the physician, payer but most importantly the patient.
Gregory Kuzmak
Director – Health, The Rockefeller FoundationMr Greg Kuzmak joined The Rockefeller Foundation in May 2020 and currently serves as a director within the Foundation’s Health Initiative. Greg stewards various investments within the Foundation’s Climate & Health and Global Vaccination Initiative portfolios where he focuses on mobilizing financing for climate-health solutions, proliferation of digital health technologies, and engaging with country governments. Prior to The Rockefeller Foundation, he worked withing the South African National Department of Health where drove the implementation of the country’s HIV/TB digital health strategy, with The Commonwealth Fund on global health policy learnings, and with various private sector organizations and non- governmental organizations that focus on improving health outcomes for the world’s moist marginalized and vulnerable communities.
Hampus Holmer
Diplomat, Swedish Ministry for Foreign AffairsDr Hampus Holmer is a medical doctor, academic and diplomat with broad experiences in global health from national government, UN and academic perspectives. For the past 3.5 years, he has served as special advisor on global health at the foreign ministry and is also a member of the board and strategy committee of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Among other roles, Hampus has previously been a seconded Technical Officer at the WHO Sierra Leone country office, a Fulbright postdoctoral fellow at Duke University and Karolinska Institutet, and a primary care physician at Rosengard Primary Care Center in Sweden.
Hannah Margaret Grant
Senior Strategy & Policy Officer, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and MalariaDr Hannah Grant has worked at the Global Fund for 15 years, having led high-profile strategy and policy development at Board level (2023-28 Strategy; 2017-2019 Allocation Methodology). She previously worked as a senior advisor to the head of the Kenyan National AIDS Control Council on HIV prevention in young people, and prior to that on cancer policy at the European Commission. With a PhD in PrEP for high-risk women in sub-Saharan Africa and previous education in infectious diseases and mathematical modelling, Hannah loves leading complex, multi-stakeholder processes, bringing together politics and evidence to guide policy and strategy making in public health.
Hui Yin
Assistant Professor, Peking University School of Public HealthDr Hui Yin is an assistant professor in the Department of Global Health at Peking University. Over the past 10 years, YIN Hui has remained active on research, teaching and practice in global health governance. She was one of the principal authors of China’s Global Health Strategy in 2016 and has previously served as an adviser to the Chinese government and civil societies during various WHO meetings and has worked as consultant with the WHO Representative Office in China on the Tobacco Free Initiative.
Ilaria Cobianchi
Policy Officer on Medical Countermeasures, European Commission (HERA)Ms Ilaria Cobianchi is a Policy Officer at the European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), where she is coordinator for international files. She has previously worked at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (SANTE) and for International Partnerships (INTPA). Ilaria has a background in European Affairs and International Relations, and has been actively involved in promoting equitable access to medical countermeasures.
Jagmeet Sra
Global Government Relations Lead, Wellcome Trust (Strategy Department)Ms Jagmeet Sra currently leads Wellcome's Government Relations to the Americas, including responsibility for the organisation's political and multilateral relationships in the region, including the United Nations. Prior to joining Wellcome, she served as Policy and Political Advisor in the Canadian government, most recently having served the as the health and social affairs advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. Jagmeet’s background is in political science and international social and public policy, and she has also volunteered and worked on political campaigns in the US and Canada.
Lolem Ngong
Chief of Staff to Group CEO & Group Programmes Director, Amref Health AfricaMs Lolem Ngong is a global public health professional with 15+ years of leadership in health diplomacy and coordination of strategic partnerships to address public health threats. She currently serves as Chief of Staff at Amref Health Africa (Amref), the largest Africa-based healthcare nonprofit, and runs programs in over 35 countries. Ms. Ngong previously coordinated the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programs in several countries. An epidemiologist by training, she has led collaborations with governments, CSOs, academic institutions, multilateral organizations, and donors. Her professional interests include health policy, governance, diplomacy, and strategy execution.
Neha Acharya-Harless
Senior Global Health Officer, Office of Global Affairs, US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)Ms Neha Acharya-Harless is a Senior Global Health Officer within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Global Affairs (OGA), where she serves on the Pandemics and Emerging Threats team and engages with multilateral organizations, like WHO, to advance the priorities of the U.S. Government related to health security and outbreak response. Prior to OGA, she managed health system strengthening-related projects funded by USAID across East Africa and South Asia for 6 years. Neha has a background in economics, public policy, and public health.
Nimisha Goel
Program Officer – Strengthening Service Delivery, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation IndiaDr Nimisha Goel is a medical doctor currently working as Program Officer at BMGF India, where her focus is on service delivery strengthening. With a distinguished background in maternal, child, and adolescent health, notably through her involvement with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the Norway India Partnership, she spearheaded the development of the India Newborn Action Plan. Driven by a passion for women's leadership in health and a strong record in grant-making, policymaking, and program execution, Nimisha is dedicated to utilizing her expertise to foster impactful advancements in the sector.
Renzo Guinto
Associate Professor of Global & Planetary Health, SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health InstituteDr Renzo Guinto is Associate Professor of Global & Planetary Health at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, having previously served as Director of the Planetary and Global Health Program at St. Luke's Medical Center in the Philippines. His impactful work extends to serving on the Philippine Climate Change Commission, various WHO and Lancet commissions, and as a consultant for various organisations including the WHO, World Bank, USAID, and Wellcome. Recognized as an Obama Asia-Pacific Leader, Renz has been named in Tatler Magazine’s Gen.T List of 400 leaders of tomorrow who are shaping Asia's future.
Rojan Dahal
Director, One Health Initiative for South AsiaMr Rojan Dahal is Director of the One Health Initiative for South Asia. A public health expert with experience in Health Policy and Financing, One Health, reproductive health, and infectious diseases, Rojan’s expertise is in AMR surveillance, supply chain management, project leadership, and data analysis.
Salma Abdalla
Assistant Professor, Boston University School of Public HealthDr Salma Abdalla, a Sudanese medical doctor, is an Assistant Professor in Global Health and Epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health. She is also the Director of the Rockefeller-Boston University 3-D Commission on Determinants of health, Data science, and Decision making. Dr Abdalla is also engaged in advocacy efforts to incorporate the voices of young people in setting the global public health agenda, and has been named an emerging voice in global health and a Moremi fellow for young women leadership in Africa.
Sandro Demaio
CEO, VicHealthDr Sandro Demaio is an Australian medical doctor and researcher currently serving as the CEO of VicHealth, the government health promotion agency for the Australian state of Victoria. Prior to his current role, Dr Demaio was the CEO of EAT, and previously Medical Officer and technical advisor with the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland. Sandro sits on the Advisory Board of Pictet Asset Management's Nutrition Fund, various government taskforces, and was a senior advisor to UNICEF's flagship 2019 State of the World's Children report. He has also written a cookbook, was a Huffington Post columnist, and co-hosted a Netflix show now seen in 130 countries worldwide.
Sudhvir Singh
Unit Head, Equity and Health, World Health OrganizationDr Sudhvir Singh is a medical doctor and researcher currently serving as the global lead for equity and health at the World Health Organization. He has experience working across sectors for health at the highest political levels, including working as an advisor to a former Head of Government and serving on government delegations to multilateral conferences. Having trained in Internal Medicine, Sudhvir also has a background in public policy and health economics.
Warisa Panichkriangkrai
Deputy Director of International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health ThailandDr Warisa Panichkriangkrai is a researcher at International Health Policy Program (IHPP), Ministry of Public Health, where she conducts health policy and systems research for evidence-based policy development. A trained dentist, Dr Panichkriangkrai has worked at in a rural district hospital for 6 years and is involved with research on UHC as well as organising capacity building programs in global health for young professionals.
Yosuke Kita
Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Japan to the UNMr Yosuke Kita is a seasoned diplomat and public health expert with over a decade of experience spanning government, international organizations, and academia. He currently serves as Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations and has previously held roles at the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare of Japan and the World Health Organization. With a background in public health, Yosuke is dedicated to advancing global health diplomacy and leveraging political processes to drive positive health outcomes worldwide.