Alastair Ager

Dr. Alastair Ager is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Director of the Institute for Global Health and Development at Queen Margaret University. He holds dual roles as Director of the NIHR Research Unit on Health in Situations of Fragility and previously served as Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Department for International Development (2017–2020). His career spans over 30 years in global health and development, with expertise in humanitarian health systems, psychosocial support for refugees, and faith community engagement in crises.

Education: BA (1978, Keele University), PhD (1983, University College), MSc (1985, University of Birmingham). Academic leadership roles include former Head of Psychology at University of Malawi and Executive Director of Columbia's Global Health Initiative. He has advised UN agencies, NGOs, and governments across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Research focuses on health systems resilience, evaluation of humanitarian programs (especially child protection and psychosocial support), and faith-based humanitarian collaboration. His work emphasizes policy development and public engagement with science, reflected in over 100 scholarly publications.

Key awards include Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellowship (2019). Current projects include research on child-friendly spaces in emergencies (with World Vision), maternal-neonatal health systems in Nigeria, and cholera biosensor technology development funded by the Gates Foundation.

Advising and grants involve technical support to global health programs like PRINN-MNCH in northern Nigeria, focusing on health governance and clinical service strengthening. Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams across Columbia's departments and international institutions.