My background is in Medical Demography and Population Science, with a Masters degree from the LSHTM, and a PhD from the London School of Economics. Before joining the LSHTM in January 2021, I was a Professor of Care and Health Policy Evaluation and Associate Director of the PSSRU at the University of Kent. Prior to this, I was a Chair at King’s College London. I maintain honorary professorships at the University of Kent, KCL and University of Southern Queensland, Australia.

My research career started in 1991 after completing undergraduate studies in statistics and economics; I worked in research focused on population development with international organisations such as the Population Council, the United Nations, Ford Foundation and the League of Arab States. During that time, my focus was on child and maternal morbidity, social determinants of health and gender equality and family formation in North Africa and West Asia.

Since 2003, my research had focused primarily on the UK health and care policy and service delivery, organisation and outcomes with comparative elements across Europe. I have led several large projects on migration/mobility, global care; transnational social work; diversity and equality, wage poverty, structures and differentials, and evaluations of national schemes focused on improving workforce outcomes and piloting new models of working in care health settings. I have supported several governments in developing their aged care and health strategies and plans in collaboration with organisations such as the United Nations, UNICEF, the WHO and others.

I am the founder and lead of the Middle East and North Africa Research on Ageing Healthy (menarah.org)