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About

Welcome! Thank you for visiting. I am Professor in the Department of Health Management, Evaluation and Policy at the University of Montreal School of Public Health and Principal Scientist at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM).

My research seeks to better understand the social and structural determinants of child health in low- and middle-income countries and to identify innovative approaches to address key challenges limiting children’s potential.

I approach issues of health and development from a holistic perspective that reflects my training in economics, ethics and political philosophy at McGill University, and public health at Yale University. My methodological interests span a wide range of fields related to evidence-based medicine, including evidence synthesis, implementation research, and impact assessment. The conceptualisation, measurement, and implementation of strategies to advance health equity are also fundamental themes.

I aim to do applied work that is anchored in field realities, useful to communities, and informative for policy and practice. I learn (and laugh) the most during fieldwork. My current work focuses on equitable access to childhood vaccines globally and in India. In 2020, our field team became an official Indian not-for-profit organization, Raah Health and Social Development Foundation, whose mission is to accelerate health equity in rural India through community-driven innovation.

Academic Career

2023 – 2024
Visiting researcher

GAVI, THE VACCINE ALLIANCE

Measurement, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

2014 –
Professor

UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL

Département de gestion, d’évaluation, et de politique de santé, École de santé publique de l’Université de Montréal (ÉSPUM) | Department of health management evaluation and policy, School of Public Health

2008 –
Principal Scientist

CENTRE DE RECHERCHE DU CENTRE HOSPITALIER DE L'UNIVERSITÉ DE MONREAL (CRCHUM)

Carrefour de l’innovation en santé | Health innovation hub

2016 – 2017
Consultant

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (MCA)

2009 – 2010
Visiting researcher

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Department of Health System Financing (HSF), Cost-effectiveness and Priority Setting (CEP)

Education

YALE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, YALE UNIVERSITY

Postdoctoral Associate

Supervisor: Edward A. Kaplan, A. David Paltiel
Thesis: Program evaluation (cost-effectiveness analysis)

YALE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, YALE UNIVERSITY

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Supervisor: Edward A. Kaplan
Thesis: Program evaluation (linear programming, cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis)

McGill University

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Supervisors: Charles Taylor, James Tully, David Davies
Thesis: Ethics & political philosophy

MCGILL UNIVERSITY

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Joint Honours

Economics & philosophy

Recognitions (select)

Winner, Research Excellence Award (Category – Faculty), School of Public Health, Université de Montréal 2022
Winner, Innovation in Science and Technology Award, Drishti Media Group 2021
Winner, Vic Neufeld Mentorship Award in Global Health Research. Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research 2020
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator 2005-2010
Fonds de recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ) Investigator Junior II (declined) 2005-2009
Fonds de recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ) Investigator Junior I 2003-2005
Runner up, Mark S. Ehrenreich Prize in Healthcare Ethics Research 2006
Runner up, best methodological paper, International Journal of Technology Assessment 2003
Nominee, Governor General of Canada’s Gold Medal, PhD Thesis nominated in Social Sciences & Humanities Category, McGill University 1998
Dean’s list of honour for PhD, McGill University 1998

Leadership (select)

ORGANIZATION ACTIVITY DATES

Equity Reference Group for Immunisation

Member

2023 –

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Chair, Steering Committee, Evaluation of Gavi’s contribution to reaching Zero-Dose children and missed communities

2022-2023

The Global Fund

Chair, Independent Evaluation Panel

2022-2024

IC-IMPACTS The India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability

Member, Board of Directors and Chair, Committee for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  2022-2023

Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)

Chair, Evaluation Committee for the Independent outcome evaluation of CEPI 1.0

2022

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Member, Steering Committee, COVAX Facility and COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) Evaluability, Evaluation Design, and Baseline Study

2021 -2022

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Chair, Steering Committee for the External evaluation of the Prospective Country Evaluations (PCE)

2021

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Member, Evaluation Advisory Committee

2012 – 2017;
2018 – 2019;
2019 – 2021; 2021-2023
The Lancet Commissioner, Lancet Commission on Global Hearing Loss 2019 – 2021
Raah Health and Social Development Foundation Chair of the Advisory Board 2020 –
World Health Organization; UNICEF Consultant, Global Consultation on Redesigning Child and Adolescent Health Programming to address Child Health Priorities in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2019
CCGHR Member, Board of Directors, Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research 2016 –2020
Yale University Member, Board of Directors, Association of Yale Alumni in Public Health (AYAPH) 2017-2020
World Health Organization, Department of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (MCA) Temporary Advisor to WHO & Leader of the Child Health Working Group, Defining global research priorities: Social, behavioural and community engagement interventions for maternal, newborn and child health. 2018
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Chair, Steering Committee, Evaluation of the Targeted Country Assistance (TCA) provided through the Gavi Partners’ Engagement Framework (PEF) 2018
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Member, Adjudication committee: Final evaluation of GAVI Alliance support to China 2012
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Member, Expert Advisory Panel on Defining GAVI’s Research Agenda 2012
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Member, GAVI Alliance Prioritisation Mechanism Independent Review Committee 2011
The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Member, Development of practical guidance to country implementing partners and Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs) to promote health equity through Global Fund grants 2011
World Health Organization, Cost-effectiveness and priority-setting (CEP) Member, Scientific & organising committee, Development of guidance for priority setting in health, Brocher Foundation, Geneva 2010 2011
World Health Organization, Cost-effectiveness and priority-setting (CEP) Member, Scientific & organising committee, Development of a checklist for priority setting, Chateau de Penthes, Geneva, Geneva 2010 2010
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Member, Evaluation of the International Financing Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) 2010