Annika Imhagen is a 50% doctoral student at the Department of Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Örebro University, and a primary health care nurse at Brickebackens vårdcentral (50%). Her research focuses on obesity treatments, patient experiences, and interventions in primary healthcare. She studies both group-based and internet-based treatment methods for obesity, including the 'Step by step' program developed in 2010 and its evolution into an internet-based model. Her work includes observational studies, interview studies, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining physical activity changes post-bariatric surgery and intervention efficacy. Key publications include a 2023 study in Journal of Clinical Nursing exploring patient experiences and another in Obesity Surgery analyzing physical activity outcomes post-surgery. Her research bridges clinical practice and public health, emphasizing patient-centered care and evidence-based interventions.
Dr. Alberto Ciancio is a Lecturer in Applied Economics at the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania (2017). His research focuses on development economics, health economics, political economy, and behavioral economics with a regional emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Malawi. He has conducted extensive fieldwork there, including evaluating health interventions via randomized control trials. Research Interests: Development economics, health economics, political economy, behavioral economics, Sub-Saharan Africa studies, public health policy. Grants: 2021-2022: Co-PI, 'Diverse Global Communities and Local Resource Allocation' ($50,000) 2020-2022: Investigator, 'Leveraging Social Networks for Healthy Aging in Low-Income Contexts' (NIH R03 AG069817, $160,584) 2018: Co-PI, 'Social Networks, NCDs and Aging' (PARC Pilot Grant, $19,643) Advising: Current supervisees include Joseph Ugbede Ejima (agricultural cooperatives), Abdisalam Mohamed (Somalia remittances/inequality), and Nuzhat Sharmeen (gender attitudes in labor markets). Recent work emphasizes health interventions in resource-poor settings, pandemic responses, and structural determinants of health behaviors. His Malawi-based studies highlight community leadership roles in public health during crises.
Arne Dekker is a researcher at the Institute and Policlinic for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry at Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). His work focuses on gender medicine, digital health interventions, and prevention of sexual violence , particularly through interdisciplinary projects like i2TransHealth and SAFERSEXTING. Academic Affiliation: Institute and Policlinic for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, UKE Research: Transgender health economics, digital media education for sexual violence prevention, forensic psychiatry His research interests include: Cost-effectiveness analysis in transgender care Digital education programs addressing sexual violence Forensic psychiatry and law enforcement challenges Epidemiology of gender-diverse population health outcomes Recent publication trends highlight: Economic evaluations of remote transgender health programs Interdisciplinary approaches to digital media education Psychological distress mitigation via telemedicine Cross-national analysis of child sexual exploitation policing Key scientific collaborations include projects under funding lines like "Sexualized Violence in Educational Contexts" and partnerships with institutions in Germany, Portugal, and Sweden.
Professor David Lynn is a leading academic in Systems Immunology at Flinders University and Scientific Director of the SA Genomics Centre, with affiliations to the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and College of Medicine and Public Health. He has held these positions since 2020 and 2019, respectively. BA (Trinity College Dublin, Genetics; 2000) MSc (University of Ottawa, Bioinformatics & Bacterial Genomics; 2001) PhD (University College Dublin, Immunology; 2004) His research interests focus on systems immunology, exploring how microbes (pathogenic and commensal) modulate immune responses in contexts such as infection, vaccination, and cancer therapies. He integrates computational modeling, bioinformatics, and preclinical mouse models to advance understanding of trained immunity and vaccine mechanisms. Recent research trends show his work spans vaccine responses, microbiota interactions, and genomics. Notable projects include the Gates Foundation-funded BRACE trial on BCG vaccine effects against COVID-19 and NHMRC-funded studies on microbiota's role in vaccination. His scientific awards include: 2023-2028: BioPlatforms Australia National Research Infrastructure funding 2023-2024: GPN Vaccines Collaborative Research Agreement 2023-2028: South Australian Government NCRIS Co-investment Grant 2023-2026: NHMRC Ideas Grant on gut microbiota and vaccine responses 2023-2025: ARC Discovery Project on androgen receptor and lipid metabolism He supervises research teams and contributes to clinical studies and genomics infrastructure development, with grants exceeding $30 million from NHMRC, GSK, and Cancer Australia. His work aligns with UN SDGs in health and well-being, reduced inequalities, and industry innovation.
Xavier Puig is an Assistant Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) , affiliated with the Department of Statistics and Operations Research and the School of Mathematics and Statistics (FME). He is a member of the ADBD - Analysis of Complex Data for Business Decisions and GRBIO - Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Research Group . His research focuses on Bayesian data analysis , with applications in Epidemiology Ecology Public health Political science Industrial quality control Marketing analytics Recent publications reveal a strong trend in Bayesian spatiotemporal modeling for health data, alcohol-migraine interaction studies, and industrial error rate monitoring . His work combines methodological innovation with real-world applications across diverse sectors. Collaborations include researchers from biostatistics, clinical epidemiology, and industrial engineering. He has contributed to 44 indexed journal articles and participated in 49 congress presentations , with recent projects focusing on competitive research and non-competitive industrial collaborations in statistical modeling.
Dr. Ahmad Farouk is a Senior Lecturer at the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University, Malaysia, where he has been affiliated since January 2007. He is also associated with the Victorian Heart Institute (VHI) and contributes to research and teaching in cardiothoracic surgery and medical education. His academic roles span anatomy, histology, clinical skills, and MBBS program coordination. His research interests focus on minimally invasive surgery , atrial fibrillation , and post-CABG outcomes , with recent publications exploring surgical techniques, wound healing with natural extracts, and the intersection of religion and public health. His research has been presented across Asia and Europe, and he contributes to advancing knowledge in cardiovascular medicine and surgical innovation. His recent publications (2022) reflect a multidisciplinary approach, covering clinical cardiology, surgical outcomes, natural therapeutics, and public health. These works span journals and book chapters in Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine , Health Promotion International , and Springer publications, indicating strong engagement in both clinical and translational research. Several distinguished medals at National and International levels Dr. Farouk is actively involved in academic mentoring, supervising Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Honors) students, and contributing to curriculum development through roles in the Malaysian Anatomy Teaching & Assessment Working Group (MATAWG). He has participated in externally funded research, including a project on breast cancer signaling pathways (2019–2022). His teaching spans multiple years and disciplines, reflecting a deep commitment to medical education. He is engaged in professional academic service, organizing conferences such as the Malaysian Association of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery Annual Scientific Meeting and the MAEMHS Conference 2023. He also serves on the Examination & Assessment Subcommittee for the UiTM-IJN Cardiothoracic Surgery Postgraduate Programme, contributing to national postgraduate medical education standards.
Joanna Cohen, PhD, MHSc, is the Bloomberg Professor of Disease Prevention and Chair of the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health . She directs the Institute for Global Tobacco Control and has led tobacco policy research for over 30 years, focusing on tobacco control, public health policy, and policy evaluation. Her work examines tobacco industry strategies, health communication, and behavioral interventions to reduce tobacco use. Education: PhD in Health Policy (University of North Carolina, 1999), MHSc in Community Health (University of Toronto, 1992) Research Trends: Her recent work includes studies on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), tobacco pricing, warning labels, flavor chemicals, and global policy implementation. Key collaborations span the U.S., Vietnam, Mexico, and Bangladesh. 2025: ENDS dependence, bidi pack perception 2024: Tobacco taxation, PMI funding models 2023: Menthol regulation Scientific Awards: Recipient of multiple teaching and mentoring awards, including the 2004 Robin Badgley Award and 2000 APHA Mentor of the Year. Projects: Leads the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, the VAPER Study, and Tobacco Pack Surveillance System (TPackSS), with a focus on reducing inequalities in tobacco control.
Philip Baker is a Professor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of East Anglia, affiliated with Norwich Medical School and the Metabolic Health research group. He previously served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Life Sciences and Dean of Medicine at the University of Leicester, demonstrating a strong leadership trajectory in academic medicine. His research focuses on maternal and fetal health, with particular emphasis on placental biology, preeclampsia, prenatal environmental exposures (including air pollution and metals), and neurodevelopmental outcomes. His work integrates clinical obstetrics with molecular and epidemiological approaches, often from an international perspective shaped by leadership roles in North America, Asia, and Australasia. Recent publications highlight ongoing contributions to understanding placental regulation of fetal growth, vasodilatory dysfunction in preeclampsia, and the impact of environmental factors on child development. These works reflect a sustained focus on perinatal medicine and developmental origins of health and disease. Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences Principal author of the G8 2010 position paper on 'Health of Women and Children' Baker has supervised over 40 PhD/MD theses and secured over £50 million in direct research funding, with institutional applications exceeding £100 million. His leadership roles have involved managing budgets up to £250 million annually and large research teams. He is actively involved in major research initiatives such as the CLIMB cohort study and the STRIDER trial. He is based at the Bob Champion Research & Education Building at UEA and maintains a high research output, with over 450 peer-reviewed articles and an H-index of approximately 98.
David Todem is a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Michigan State University. His work focuses on statistical methodology for longitudinal and clustered data, particularly in applications to cancer research and public health. He holds a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.S. in Biostatistics from Hasselt University (Belgium), and an M.S. in Population Health from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Todem's research interests include joint models for time-to-event and longitudinal outcomes, non-identifiable models with informative nonresponse, and testing heterogeneity in mixture models. His applied work addresses critical questions in cancer treatment efficacy, maternal-child health, and chronic disease surveillance. He has developed innovative methods for analyzing quality-of-life outcomes in cancer patients and spatial epidemiology of co-infections. Key contributions include the Validation of geospatial health indices Advancements in zero-inflated model testing Development of nonparametric scanning techniques Statistical frameworks for pediatric intervention evaluation He received a prestigious National Cancer Institute K01 award and has collaborated on federally-funded programs improving cardiovascular care in underserved populations. His work spans multiple domains including maternal-fetal medicine, environmental health, and global health equity. Methodological strengths include: Handling non-random missing data High-dimensional feature selection Weakly identifiable model sensitivity analysis Current research emphasizes translating statistical innovations into clinical practice through partnerships with healthcare systems and public health agencies.
Mar Rus-Calafell is an active researcher at King's College London, specializing in the application of virtual reality (VR) technologies to mental health treatment. Her work focuses on psychosis, schizophrenia, and auditory hallucinations, particularly through innovative interventions like AVATAR Therapy. She contributes to advancing clinical psychology and psychiatry through randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews. Research Interests: Her expertise spans VR-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), social functioning in psychosis, and the psychometric evaluation of therapeutic outcomes. She explores how multi-level VR paradigms can improve social performance and generalize therapeutic gains in clinical settings. Recent Work: Recent publications highlight VR's role in treating mental health conditions such as PTSD, eating disorders, and psychosis. She collaborates internationally on projects like AVATAR2, a multi-center trial evaluating AVATAR Therapy for distressing voices. Labs/Teams: Collaborates on the AVATAR2 project, a multidisciplinary effort involving clinical psychologists, software engineers, and psychiatrists to refine therapeutic VR applications.
Kirsty James is a Researcher in Biostatistics & Health Informatics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London. With 330 citations and 27 research outputs including 26 articles and 1 letter, she specializes in biostatistics and health informatics with a focus on mental health research, particularly in autism, adolescent mental health, and cost-effectiveness analysis of interventions. Her research interests span Biostatistics, Health Informatics, Mental Health, Autism Research, Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Randomized Controlled Trials, and Adolescent Mental Health. She applies sophisticated statistical methods to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mental health interventions, particularly those targeting children, adolescents, and caregivers. Her work often involves complex trial designs including cluster randomized controlled trials and economic evaluations. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on evaluating interventions for autism spectrum disorder (particularly the REACH-ASD program for caregivers) and adolescent mental health (through the BESST trial). Her work consistently integrates rigorous biostatistical methods with health economic evaluation, demonstrating expertise in both clinical trial methodology and cost-effectiveness analysis across multiple healthcare domains. As Primary Investigator on the 'Emotional and Language recovery in Aphasia (ELA)' project funded by the NIHR National Institute For Health & Care Research (February 2025 to April 2027), she leads research developing novel interventions for people living with post-stroke aphasia. Her collaborative work extends across multiple significant projects including the REACH-ASD Trial, BESST trial, and CLEAR study on clozapine for early psychosis. Her research has been disseminated through high-impact journals including EClinicalMedicine, The Lancet Psychiatry, BMC Psychiatry, and Trials, with her work reaching diverse audiences through news outlets, social media platforms (X, Bluesky), and academic platforms like Mendeley.
David Aguilar, M.D., M.S.C.I., is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Section Chief of General and Noninvasive Cardiology within the Division of Cardiology. Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in cardiovascular diseases, he joined UT Southwestern in 2024 after serving as Professor of Medicine at LSU Health Science Center in New Orleans. His educational background includes: Bachelor of Science in Zoology (summa cum laude), Texas A&M University Doctor of Medicine (with honors), Baylor College of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Master of Science in Clinical Investigation, Baylor Dr. Aguilar's research focuses on heart failure epidemiology, cardiovascular complications in diabetes, and environmental health impacts on cardiometabolic outcomes. He investigates toxic metal exposures in Hispanic populations and develops clinical guidelines for cardiovascular risk management. His work bridges clinical cardiology with population health research, emphasizing health disparities and preventive strategies. His extensive publication record (over 100 articles) shows strong emphasis on heart failure management guidelines, diabetes-cardiology interface, and environmental epidemiology. Recent work includes major AHA/ACC guideline documents and studies on metal exposures in Mexican American communities, reflecting his leadership in evidence-based cardiology and health disparities research. Professional honors include: Fellow of the American College of Cardiology Fellow of the American Heart Association Dr. Aguilar serves on editorial boards for American Heart Journal , Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy , Circulation , and Diabetes Care , demonstrating significant scholarly influence. His national presentations and guideline committee roles indicate active mentorship and leadership in cardiovascular medicine, though specific grant details aren't provided in source materials. As Section Chief of General and Noninvasive Cardiology, he leads clinical and research teams focused on advancing heart failure care and cardiovascular risk management through evidence-based practice.
Michelle Newman is a Professor of Psychology at Pennsylvania State University's Department of Psychology within the College of Liberal Arts. She holds a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook (1992) and serves as the Principal Investigator of the Laboratory for Anxiety & Depression Research (LADR). Her research program spans adult clinical psychology with a focus on anxiety disorders and depression. Dr. Newman's research interests center on the nature and treatment of anxiety disorders and depression, with particular emphasis on the contrast avoidance model. Her work examines etiology and classification of disorders, individual predictors of psychotherapy outcomes, and the impact of brief digital interventions. She employs cutting-edge methodologies including ecological momentary assessment/intervention studies, machine learning approaches for emotion detection and therapy outcome prediction, and experimental paradigms examining underlying emotional processes. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on transdiagnostic approaches to anxiety and depression, with particular emphasis on emotional contrast avoidance mechanisms. Her work bridges basic emotion science with clinical applications, frequently examining how momentary emotional processes relate to disorder maintenance and treatment outcomes. A significant portion of her recent work involves developing and testing digital interventions for anxiety disorders. Raymond Lombra Award for Distinction in the Social or Life Sciences (2019) Toy Caldwell-Colbert Award for Distinguished Educator in Clinical Psychology (2019) Dr. Newman has mentored numerous graduate students who have gone on to successful academic careers, including Nur Hani Zainal (now Assistant Professor at National University of Singapore), Hanjoo Kim (postdoctoral fellow at Michigan Medicine), Ki Eun Shin (assistant professor at Long Island University), and Lucas LaFreniere (assistant professor at Skidmore College). Her lab has secured substantial grant funding supporting research on digital mental health interventions, emotion regulation processes, and longitudinal studies of anxiety and depression. The Laboratory for Anxiety & Depression Research (LADR) conducts multiple concurrent projects examining basic emotional processes and developing innovative treatments for anxiety disorders. The lab employs diverse methodologies including ecological momentary assessment, randomized controlled trials of digital interventions, neurocognitive studies, and large-scale network analyses of psychopathology.
Jennifer Cocohoba is a Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Pharmacy , where she holds the McKesson Professorship of Pharmaceutical Technology . As Vice Chair of Faculty Development , she mentors early-career faculty and promotes professional development opportunities. Her dual role as Clinical Pharmacist at the Women’s HIV Program focuses on optimizing antiretroviral therapy, adherence strategies, and opioid stewardship. Education: PharmD (2001, UCSF) MAS in Clinical Research (2008, UCSF) Certificate in Implementation Sciences (2012, UCSF) Certificate in Geographic Information Sciences (2013, Cal Poly Pomona) HIV Expert certification (2008, American Academy of HIV Medicine) Her research spans HIV treatment and prevention , with emphasis on medication adherence , health disparities , pharmacoepidemiology , and implementation science . She investigates sex-related disparities in HIV care, Filipina-American health behaviors, and pharmacy-based interventions for chronic disease management. Recent studies focus on integrase inhibitor-related weight gain , long-acting injectable therapies , and telemedicine for alcohol use disorders . Scientific recognition includes: Fellow of the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (2012) Endowed chair appointments at UCSF (2022) Honors from the UCSF Academy of Medical Educators (2021) She actively contributes to pharmacy education reform and policy analysis , including work on expanding pharmacist prescribing authority for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) . Her community engagement with Mabuhay Health Center and research in pharmacist-patient communication reflect her commitment to equitable healthcare delivery.
Karin Sundström is a Principal Researcher at the Karolinska Institute , affiliated with the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology and leading the Human papillomavirus which causes cervical cancer – Research Group . She serves as a research group leader and cancer epidemiologist with extensive experience in molecular epidemiology and biobank infrastructure utilization. MD-PhD trained medical scientist Active in eHealth and big data applications Principal investigator for multiple international collaborations Research Interests: HPV-associated cancer elimination Biomarker development for female cancers Register-based cervical screening optimization Next-generation sequencing applications Machine learning in medical records analysis Epidemiology of herpes zoster Scientific Contributions: With over 20 publications in 2023-2024 alone, her work spans HPV vaccination effectiveness, cervical screening algorithms, and cancer risk stratification using epigenetic markers. Her MERMAID III initiative focuses on ovarian cancer prevention through biomarker research. Selected Awards: Swedish Cancer Society Project Grant (2022-2023) CIMED Junior Grant (2020-2022) Jonas Söderquist Award for Virology Research (2016) Academic Leadership: Supervises multiple doctoral and postdoctoral researchers including Dr. Jiangrong Wang, and serves as study director for KI's Diagnostic Cytology program. Previously coordinated the Nordic Information for Action eScience Center (NIASC) eHealth projects.
