Zara Ahmed

Zara Ahmed is an Adjunct Faculty member with expertise in public policy and sexual/reproductive health. She currently serves as Associate Director for Federal Issues at the Guttmacher Institute, where she coordinates advocacy agendas and advises on U.S. foreign policy related to maternal health and international family planning programs.

• Education: DrPH from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, dual Master's in Public Policy and Public Health from University of Michigan, BA in Political Science from Brown University

Her career spans nearly a decade with the CDC, including roles as Senior Technical Adviser in Rwanda, Namibia, and Haiti, and Associate Director for Policy and Communications in Atlanta. She has conducted field research on sex worker rights in Cambodia, health financing in Cameroon, and malaria donor coordination in Senegal.

Dr. Ahmed's work focuses on intersection of global health policy, maternal health, and health systems strengthening. She has also contributed to labor rights advocacy for migrant women in Bangladesh and sexual health counseling in Michigan.