Regien Biesma-Blanco

R.G. (Regien) Biesma-Blanco is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Limerick and holds multiple academic positions at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Medical Sciences. She is a global public health specialist with expertise in epidemiology, health systems & policy, and implementation research. Her work focuses on reducing disparities in reproductive, maternal, and child health, particularly addressing malnutrition in resource-poor settings like refugee settlements and urban slums.

Research interests include interdisciplinary interventions for adolescent and maternal nutrition, geospatial analysis of health disparities, and policy implementation. She coordinates academic programs such as the Social Medicine Abroad master's program and teaches in the Research Master Health Systems and Prevention.

Recent research has explored maternal health facility optimization in Ethiopia, breast-milk substitution policies in Ghana and Tanzania, and the impact of social health activists in India. She is a key member of global networks like NNEdPro and the Lifecourse Nutrition Center advisory board.

Current projects include an NWA-funded initiative investigating food security through women's empowerment in Bangladesh and Ethiopia. Her work bridges academic research with practical health system improvements in low-resource contexts.