Lars Åke Persson

Lars Åke Persson

Professor of Public Health Evaluation at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) since 2016, previously holding roles at Uppsala University (Sweden) and icddrb (Bangladesh). A pediatrician and epidemiologist with 40 years of global health experience in Ethiopia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Tanzania. Leads research in maternal and child health interventions, health system strengthening, and research capacity development in low-resource settings.

Research Interests:

• Evaluation of maternal and child health interventions
• Health equity in service utilization
• Environmental health impacts on child development
• Global health partnerships and capacity building
• Health system data utilization
• Longitudinal cohort studies in maternal-child health

Grants:

• Operational Research Mentoring and Coaching Program (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2018–2024)
• Ethiopian Public Health Evaluation Program (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2015–2021)

Teaching & Mentorship:

• Advanced training in epidemiology and implementation science at LSHTM
• Supervised PhD training programs in Ethiopia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Nicaragua
• Contributed to Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) initiatives in multiple countries

Professional Activities:

• Editorial board member for Acta Paediatrica
• Reviewer for BMJ Global Health and Lancet Global Health
• Special Academic Editor for PLOS Medicine