Abdalla appointed to WHO health policy and systems research committee 

Salma Abdalla, MBBS, MPH, DrPH, an assistant professor at the School of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis, has been appointed to the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research at the World Health Organization. 

The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research aims to help create a world where health policy and systems research contribute to significant progress in reducing health inequities and achieving major global health targets. In this role, Abdalla will provide scientific guidance, evaluate research proposals and help identify collaborators for the alliance. Her three-year term begins January 1.

Abdalla was chosen for the role because of her long-standing experience with and contributions to the field of health policy and systems research. A physician and systems scientist, Abdalla examines how social, economic and commercial policies shape population health, with expertise in data-driven decision-making and noncommunicable diseases. She is co-director of SPH’s Global Health Futures Innovation Research Network and has contributed to policy efforts including the 2021 U.S. Surgeon General’s report on community health and economic prosperity.