Tamar Kabakian-Khasholian, PhD, MPH, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Tamar Kabakian-Khasholian is a maternal health researcher at the Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut. Her research focuses on maternal and reproductive health and revolves around intervention research across multiple countries and contexts in the Arab region. She aims to find ways to improve women’s experiences with maternity care and their well-being. She has conducted several intervention and implementation research studies using quantitative and qualitative methodologies to improve the quality of maternity care and maternal and neonatal outcomes, promote evidence-based practices, and enhance positive childbirth experiences in Lebanon and Arab countries. She led large multi-site implementation research on introducing labor companionship in Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon public hospitals. She also works on the pregnancy and childbirth needs of internally displaced populations and refugees.
Alfred Osoti, MBChB, MMed, MPH, PhD, University of Washington, USA
Dr Alfred Osoti, MBChB, MMed, MPH, PhD, is a Principal Investigator of an NIH K43 grant evaluating incidence of metabolic syndrome after delivery, a risk factor for future cardiovascular disease. He is a multiple Principal Investigator for NIH R21 grant evaluating subclinical cardiac dysfunction using speckle tracking echocardiography after hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. Dr Osoti received his MBChB and Masters in Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynecology degrees from the University of Nairobi. He is an alumnus of the NIH Fogarty International Centre Scholar and Fellow program. Dr Osoti obtained MPH and PhD training from the University of Washington, Seattle during which he evaluated innovative approaches to male partner HIV testing and postpartum risk of metabolic syndrome. Dr Osoti has more than 20 papers in peer reviewed journals and more than 20 international conference presentations. He has also supervised 30 postgraduate students, 20 to completion.
Brittney van de Water, PhD, RN, CPNP, Boston College, USA
Brittney van de Water, PhD, RN, CPNP, is an assistant professor at the Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, USA. Dr. van de Water is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner and global health delivery researcher. She is also the associate director for pediatric nursing at Seed Global Health, where she supports nurse educators and partnerships with universities in Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, and Sierra Leone. Dr. van de Water’s research focuses on optimizing the implementation of TB and TB/HIV interventions in low-resource settings and the uptake of evidence-based strategies at large. Her work centers on improving comprehensive TB care and building health professional capacity in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically developing and evaluating a novel low-dose high-frequency preceptor program for midwifery and pediatric critical care nursing in Sierra Leone and Malawi.
Joshua P. Vogel, BMedSci, MBBS PhD, Burnet Institute, Australia
Professor Joshua Vogel is a perinatal epidemiologist and public health researcher. He is a Senior Principal Research Fellow at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, Australia, where he co-heads the multi-disciplinary Global Women’s and Newborn’s Health group. Joshua has led epidemiological and interventional research projects conducted in >20 countries, and has produced over 200 peer-review articles on global maternal and newborn health. He has led the development of multiple WHO guidelines in maternal health, and also WHO’s 2019 global preterm birth estimates.
