Abejirinde Ibukun

I am a Researcher in Global Public Health with a background in Clinical Medicine and Community Health and Psychology complemented by international experience in academic and practitioner settings. My research program comprises four intersecting areas: health systems responsiveness; maternal, sexual and reproductive health; digital innovation for access to quality healthcare; implementation and evaluation of complex interventions using novel methodologies. My most recent research role is on the qualitative end line evaluation of maternal and child health projects in 5 low-and middle income countries (Kenya, Mali, Malawi, Pakistan, Tanzania) using mixed-methods to assess their effectiveness and impact. Sub-components of the evaluation specifically assess the sustainability of program results and their impact on gender equity. My doctoral research investigated the use of mHealth to improve the quality of care in low-resource settings, resulting in 5 first-author papers amongst other output. Digital innovation has remained a dominant focus in my research portfolio where I mainly apply qualitative and realist methodology in my inquiry. My scholarship is disseminated through 16+ peer-reviewed publications in high impact public health journals, 9 of which I am the first author and an additional 5 papers currently under peer-review or in progress. I teach and supervise graduate (Masters and PhD) students and have collaborated with researchers, policy makers, nongovernmental and community organizations from 15 countries. I am currently supervising a PhD student who is applying the principles of human centered design in the development, implementation and evaluation of tools to improve the quality of newborn care in Kenyan hospitals. I have been awarded USD$450,000 in research funds and applied for grants as a PI or Co-I for a total of $4.8million. My goal as a researcher is to strengthen health care and systems in low-resource settings and for vulnerable populations through
implementation and evaluation research.