How to shape health systems that learn from, adapt to, and serve
the people who need them most?

In the early years of the Syrian conflict, I co-developed and implemented EWARN to detect epidemic-prone diseases across northern Syria. In one month I designed the project framework, protocols, data collection tools, and training materials, and trained 45 field surveillance officers. The system detected the first polio case in Syria post-conflict.

My doctoral research examined how primary healthcare systems in Vietnam support people living with hypertension — a chronic condition these systems were not designed to manage. Working across two provinces, I designed a mixed-methods realist case study with strong local collaborations. Findings have been used by local partners for intervention planning.

On a voluntary basis, I conducted a comprehensive analysis of MSF datasets and narrative reports from projects in Northern Syria spanning 2013–2016. The analysis produced the first systematic examination of chronic disease burden among children in MSF’s Syria programmes, documenting malnutrition, trauma, and disrupted vaccination.

As Research Data Coordinator at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, I led improvements in data management across translational research projects, introducing FAIR principles and the OMOP Common Data Model. I co-managed data collection for the mtFIT trial and MOCCAS, with findings published in The Lancet Oncology and Gastroenterology.

As part of the Lancet–AUB Commission on Syria, I contributed to a policy review on the return and reintegration of displaced healthcare workers as a pathway to rebuilding the health system. Applying the PCC framework, the review produced targeted recommendations addressing a gap neither humanitarian nor development frameworks had covered.

As National Technical Officer at the WHO Jordan Office, I provided technical support to the Ministry of Health in strengthening the national surveillance system. This included developing training modules, supporting the weekly epidemiological bulletin, and leading the investigation of a Hepatitis A outbreak in Northern Jordan.

Managing two primary health care clinics and a team of twelve health professionals serving Syrian urban refugees, I designed a Health Information System from scratch and produced monthly epidemiological reports. I also managed budgets, donor proposals, and negotiated the clinics’ legal registration with the Jordanian Ministry of Health.

Co-authored with a fellow Erasmus Mundus doctoral scholar, this methodological paper addresses how qualitative insights fit within causal inference frameworks in epidemiology. We introduced a theoretical framework arguing that qualitative research can contribute to mechanistic understanding of health outcomes.

As M&E Officer for KNCV’s Challenge TB project spanning 22 high-burden countries, I developed a comprehensive data strategy incorporating TB surveillance and programmatic data collection. I authored a data management plan covering five years of project data and supported the design of a master database.

As part of MSF’s exploratory mission to northern Jordan, I conducted a rapid health needs assessment on reproductive health and chronic non-communicable diseases among Syrian urban refugees. Findings provided baseline population characteristics and informed MSF’s proposed programme design for the region.

During my graduate research placement at CDC’s International Emergency and Refugee Health Branch, I revised and developed Version 2 of the Evaluation Tool for Tuberculosis Programs in Resource-Limited, Refugee, and Post-Conflict Settings. I also developed supporting materials to guide users through the tool’s application.

Over a decade at the Athena Institute, I have taught and supervised across bachelor’s, master’s, and pre-master’s levels — from introductory public health to advanced research methods and epidemiology. I have mentored over 15 master’s students, with several theses contributing to publications and real-world programme design.

I contributed to the mapping of the WHO COVID-19 Rapid Version CRF semantic data model (COVIDCRFRAPID) — an open-access standardised data structure supporting consistent and interoperable COVID-19 clinical data collection across countries and health systems during the pandemic.

Working with the Damascus Branch of the Syrian Red Crescent and UNFPA’s Y-PEER network, I co-developed peer education training materials on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and community health for youth audiences. This included designing interactive training curricula and delivering sessions in schools and refugee communities.