Lacey Ahern

Lacey Ahern serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of the Practice in the Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame and directs Global Partners in Care, a U.S.-based organization advancing hospice and palliative care access in low-resource settings through research partnerships and education initiatives. Previously, she held leadership roles for six years as Assistant/Associate Director of Notre Dame's Master of Science in Global Health program.

Her academic credentials include a BS in Biology from the University of Notre Dame and an MPH in Global Health/Community Health and Development from Emory University.

With over 20 years of international health experience, her research centers on palliative care systems development, maternal and child health interventions, and public health surveillance in resource-limited contexts. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Uganda since 2003, focusing on community-based palliative care models through partnerships with the Palliative Care Association of Uganda and African Palliative Care Association, while also addressing local lead exposure issues in South Bend, Indiana.

She has mentored numerous students on public health research projects and contributed to global health curriculum development through the Consortium of Universities of Global Health, helping establish Notre Dame's global health training infrastructure.

As Director of Global Partners in Care, she leads collaborative initiatives across Africa that integrate clinical practice, research capacity building, and policy advocacy to strengthen palliative care systems through university-community partnerships.