The team

The working group

The working group is open to new members, so do get in touch if you want to help build the community of practice or if you would like to promote your resources or events! 

Lyn Ametewee

Working group member

Narshion Ngao

Working group member

Kennedy Otwombe

Working group member

Ireneous Soyiri

Working group member

Lin Wang

Working group member

Md Saimul Islam

Research Investigator, Initiative for Non Communicable Diseases, HSPSD, icddr, b

Md Saimul Islam is a statistician with more than 8 years of experience in public health research including noncommunicable disease, nutrition, and mental health. Mr. Islam focuses on the application of advanced biostatistics techniques, the designing of research methodology for epidemiological research, and national surveys for Non communicable diseases. He is the co-principal investigator of the 2nd National Micronutrient Survey in Bangladesh 2019-2020. Besides, he is the co-investigators of several research projects on hypertension, diabetes, dementia, mental health, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Mr. Islam has already published research articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is working to integrate data science in public health research areas to drive better health outcomes and policy decisions. Under the Global Health Network-Asia, he coordinates Data Science activities in Asia which is an open-access knowledge exchange hub for anyone working in data science, data management, data sharing, and data access within health research.

Vanessa De Arruda Jorge

Coordinator of Information and Communication, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz)

Vanessa is coordinator of some information institutional instances at Fiocruz, such as the Forum of Scientific Editors, the Open Science Forum, and the Digital Preservation Forum. She is also the executive coordinator of Fiocruz's data repository – Arca Dados, of the Fiocruz Observatory of Science, Technology and Innovation in Health, and of the Fiocruz Scientific Journals Portal. Vanessa has a PhD in Information Science, working as a professor in post-graduate programs and a researcher in Open Science, Data Sharing, and Citizen Science for Health. Vanessa brings experience working in other Brazilian government institutions such as the National Archive, and the National Nuclear Energy Commission. Also, in private institutions such as Kromav Engineering, Vale S.A and Nortel Networks Inc.

Dr. Noshin Farzana

Research Investigator, Initiative for Non communicable Diseases, HSPSD, icddr, b

Dr. Noshin Farzana is a medical graduate and public health researcher from Bangladesh. She has specific training in both quantitative and qualitative study designs and biostatistics. She has successfully coordinated a multi-country trial Lifestyle InterVention IN Gestational Diabetes (LIVING) in Bangladesh and has also experience working in the National Micronutrient Survey in Bangladesh 2019-2020 as the Scientific and Clinical coordinator. She is also involved in networking and coordinating project activities among national and international collaborators for generating evidence in NCD research and capacity-strengthening programmes. She was the fellow and Coordinator of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded International Research Training Planning Grant, D71 and the COVID-19 research implementation and knowledge hub: Asia in collaboration with The Global Health Network. She will be responsible for the scientific coordination activities of TGHN Asia to support the members of the network in developing grant proposals.

Mir Nabila Ashraf

Working group member

Flavia Bueno, Phd in Global Health

Fiocruz Lead, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) and The Global Health Network

Flávia graduated in Psychology, and is also a Public Health Specialist, holding a Master's degree in Public Health (sub-specialty Public Policies and Health) with a dissertation in international cooperation in HIV/AIDS and borders. Flávia participated in the 2013 class of the Edmundo Granda Ugalde International Health Leaders Program of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), and worked as the Information and Knowledge Management Lead at the South American Institute of Government in Health of the Union of South American Nations (ISAGS/UNASUR). Flávia holds a PhD in Global Health and Sustainability at the Faculty of Public Health of the University of São Paulo (FSP/USP), and is motivated by building horizontal international collaborations, with a view to strengthening and valorising the knowledge produced in the Global South by researchers and communities. Currently, she coordinates the Fiocruz Hub at The Global Health Network, working within the Coordination of Information and Communication at the Fiocruz Vice Presidency of Education, Information and Communication (VPEIC).

Kofi Amegah

Working group member

Sally Boylan

Capacity Development and Engagement Manger, HDR Global

Sally joined HDR UK in April 2021 to support delivery of the International Covid-19 Data Alliance (ICODA) initiative focusing on the cohort of Grand Challenges ICODA research studies funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Minderoo. Sally has an MSc from SOAS in Development Studies and has more than 20 years experience working for ActionAid, The Big Lottery Fund and the Association of Charitable Foundations, as well as being an independent consultant.  Sally is part of the HDR Global team working with a range of partners to support the development of new expertise in data science and the skills and approaches to overcome the well-recognised barriers that limit the collecting, sharing, analysis and use of high-quality health data.

Matthew Retford 

Technical Programme Manager, HDR Global

Matthew joined HDR UK in May 2021 to support the technical delivery of the International Covid-19 Data Alliance (ICODA) initiative funded by the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator group, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Minderoo. He has a BSc of Computer Science from the University of Newcastle, Australia, and has 5+ years of experience working in the health technology sector in the UK and Australia. Matthew is part of the HDR Global team working with a range of partners to support the technical development of new expertise in data science. He is also working with the University of Bristol as a data science research assistant on a COVID-19 study using UK national primary and secondary care records.

Salvia Zeeshan

Asia Regional Manager - The Global Health Network

Salvia Zeeshan is a medical doctor and public health researcher. She received her medical training from the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, India, and her Master in Public Health degree as well as postdoctoral fellowship from the Johns Hopkins University, USA. She has worked as a physician in India and in global health projects in vaccine hesitancy (India), menstrual hygiene management (Sierra Leone), COVID-19 disruptions in children's health and education (Papua New Guinea) and improving access to care for women and children (Uganda). In her current role with The Global Health Network, she has been coordinating the regional team activities related to research capacity development and knowledge sharing in Asia.

Steffani Herring-Hall

Digital Content Developer - The Global Health Network

Steffi has worked with The Global Health Network since 2019 developing digital content across their 60+ hubs. She has a background in Multimedia Production with a 1st class honors degree from Oxford Brookes University.

Samuel Driver

Digital Resources Manager – The Global Health Network

Sam Driver is Digital Resources Manager at The Global Health Network. He joined The Global Health Network team in early 2019 after an almost 20-year career in Scientific and Medical publishing with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, The Biochemical Society, Oxford University Press and as an Editorial Consultant. Throughout his career his roles have included writing and editing health-related evidence-based content for print and digital publications and developing digital resources for healthcare workers around the world.

Adam Dale

Knowledge Exchange Lead – The Global Health Network

Adam joined The Global Health Network in 2020, first within digital support and later as a project coordinator. His background is in post-compulsory education, overseeing teaching and learning assessment and lecturing in film, media and communications. He has also worked in education publishing as an editor and author. He works with partners, coordinators and the digital team to support the development, sustainability and impact of all the knowledge communities across The Global Health Network.