Rebecca Kirby

Rebecca Kirby serves as a Research Assistant Professor and Lecturer in the Sustainability and Social Impact Program at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, while concurrently holding the position of Market Access Director for NEST360 (Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies). Her dual roles bridge academic research with practical implementation in global health systems, specifically targeting preventable newborn mortality in sub-Saharan Africa through medical technology innovation and market-shaping strategies.

Her educational foundation includes an MBA from Kellogg and a BBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, complemented by prior consulting experience at Deloitte’s healthcare practice. This industry background informs her approach to designing scalable solutions that address transaction costs, information gaps, and risk imbalances in newborn healthcare markets.

Dr. Kirby's research centers on maternal and newborn health with a distinctive focus on market shaping in global public health. She develops implementation frameworks for medical device distribution, creates target product profiles with UNICEF and WHO, and designs market assessment methodologies to transform fragmented supply chains into functional marketplaces for newborn equipment. Her work systematically addresses the 'last mile' challenges in resource-limited settings through rigorous analysis of procurement processes, technology adoption barriers, and demand-side dynamics.

Her publication portfolio reveals a clear trajectory toward operationalizing global health innovations, with recurring themes including equipment graveyard prevention (2024), diagnostic gap bridging for neonatal sepsis (2024), and implementation science applications throughout the device lifecycle. The consistent Africa-focused context across her work demonstrates deep engagement with local health systems, while collaborations with UNICEF and WHO reflect international recognition of her methodological contributions to medical technology scaling.

• Winner of Financial Times Responsible Business Education awards

As an educator, Dr. Kirby directs Kellogg's Medical Technologies in Global Public Health course (SSIM-673-5), which immerses MBA students in experiential market research across seven African nations. Through structured classroom instruction followed by stakeholder interviews with hospital staff, government officials, and NGOs, students generate actionable insights for medical technology developers. Her leadership extends to editorial roles at the Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology and Medical Science Monitor, where she evaluates innovations in newborn eye care technologies.

Through NEST360, Dr. Kirby co-leads the development of the Newborn Technology Landscape Report series and Target Product Profiles that have become instrumental references for global health implementers. Her ongoing work focuses on creating sustainable market mechanisms that connect device developers with end-users while addressing the systemic barriers that prevent life-saving technologies from reaching vulnerable newborn populations.