Maria Paola Bertone

Maria Paola Bertone is a Reader (equivalent to Associate Professor) in the Institute of Global Health and Development at Queen Margaret University, with over 15 years of experience focusing on health systems in fragile settings across sub-Saharan Africa. Her work spans health financing, human resources for health, and policy implementation in conflict-affected regions through collaborations with ministries of health and international organizations.

Education

• MA in International Economics and Policy from the University of Pavia (Italy)
• MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the London School of Economics
• PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Research Interests

Bertone specializes in health system governance, financing, and workforce dynamics in low-income fragile contexts, employing mixed methods and political economy analysis. Her current research examines health system resilience amid shocks, refugee health integration, and public finance management reforms, with fieldwork spanning Sierra Leone, Mauritania, Kenya, and other crisis-affected regions. She investigates how political dynamics shape policy adaptation in contexts where traditional health financing mechanisms fracture.

Scientific Awards

• ODI Fellowship

Advising and Grants

Bertone supervises three PhD students and leads major funded projects including the UK government-supported ReBUILD for Resilience consortium examining health systems in shock-prone settings, a UNHCR-funded initiative on refugee health integration across six countries, and a NIHR-funded project strengthening political economy research capacity for universal health coverage in francophone Africa. Her grant portfolio emphasizes actionable evidence for health system strengthening in complex emergencies.

Labs and Teams

She collaborates through the ReBUILD for Resilience consortium with partners including the American University of Beirut, Burnet Institute, and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, conducting field research in earthquake-affected Myanmar, refugee-hosting regions of Kenya and Mauritania, and conflict zones across sub-Saharan Africa. Her work integrates community health workers and local governance structures to build health system resilience.