Our Team
Manager, Health Research Web
Brazil
David is Manager of the HRWeb information service, initiated by COHRED. His primary area of expertise is maximising the reach of health research organisations through the use of web and related information technologies. His experience working with students from 33 different countries as an international educator has given him an understanding of the unique role of culture and language in communicating critical information. He served as Director of the International Student Services at Lewis University and as a Consultant at the Brazilian Ministry of Health where he helped expand the Department of Science and Technology’s information systems, data collection and validation processes. He has a Master's degree in Business Administration with a specialisation in International Business and a bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems from Lewis University in the USA.
Project Coordinator
Communication and research translation
Uganda
Based in Uganda, Jennifer is project leader of the research communication and knowledge sharing project between COHRED and Makerere University Institute of Public Health. The project looks at communication and knowledge sharing in health research, with three focus areas) building skills of researchers and research managers in communicating research results; building capacity of policy makers to communicate health research needs to health researchers, and enabling communities to use research results and help set the research agendas of institutions and countries. It provides practical advice to people, institutes and governments in developing countries that aim to excel at research communication. The project aims to grow into a forum for exchange between communications professionals in several African and other regions. Jennifer is a journalist with 10 years experience in reporting and writing in the health sector in Uganda. She has worked on a Fellowship on HIV/AIDS in Uganda and regularly publishes stories on development issues in The New Vision, The Monitor and the Weekly Observer in Uganda, the regional publication East African and at the international level for the Panos development news agency, an e-newsletter Women’s eNews, Interpress Services news agency, the Bundeszentrale fur Politische Bildung published by the German Civic Foundation and the cultural publication, Kultur Austausch.
Head, Project and Programmes
Mexico
Dr. Francisco Becerra-Posada is senior consultant for COHRED in Latin America, responsible for developing COHRED activities and partnerships in and with countries and institutions in Latin America to strengthen National Health Research Systems.
Born in Mexico City, he graduated as Medical Doctor from the School of Medicine at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1981. In 1984, he got his Masters of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, (USA), with emphasis in planning and health services administration. During his career Francisco has been an international consultant for PAHO, WHO, USAID, CARE, CORAT-Africa and Save the Children-US, among others. In Mexico, he has held various positions, including Director General for the State of Morelos Health Services, coordinator of the Masters in Health Services Administration and of the Masters in Sciences in Health Systems at the National Institute of Public Health, and has worked in the private sector.
Francisco Becerra has published over 25 papers and has contributed to books on various topics and has been Principal Investigator in Mexico for two multi-country studies coordinated by WHO.
Born in Mexico City, he graduated as Medical Doctor from the School of Medicine at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1981. In 1984, he got his Masters of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, (USA), with emphasis in planning and health services administration. During his career Francisco has been an international consultant for PAHO, WHO, USAID, CARE, CORAT-Africa and Save the Children-US, among others. In Mexico, he has held various positions, including Director General for the State of Morelos Health Services, coordinator of the Masters in Health Services Administration and of the Masters in Sciences in Health Systems at the National Institute of Public Health, and has worked in the private sector.
Francisco Becerra has published over 25 papers and has contributed to books on various topics and has been Principal Investigator in Mexico for two multi-country studies coordinated by WHO.
Executive Assistant
UK
Teresa is Executive Assistant to COHRED’s Director, Carel IJsselmuiden. She is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Director’s office including scheduling and planning for the many presentations, talks and meetings the director attends across the globe, on behalf of COHRED.
Her role also involves communication from the director’s office to members of the board - the majority of which are from developing countries - to keep them up-to-date with recent COHRED projects and publications. Once a year, Teresa is heavily involved in the organisation of the board meeting, which brings together all board members to review COHRED’s achievements and work plans for the future.
Her experience as internal communications manager for a UK retailer, has more recently led to Teresa’s involvement with staff communications, to further improve links between COHRED’s representatives in Uganda, Mexico, Tunisia and the Philippines.
Deputy Director
Netherlands
Sylvia is a health scientist. After graduating from Nijmegen University she worked for several years in the field of environmental and occupational health in the Netherlands and in Tanzania. She has been working for COHRED since 1998. Her areas of responsibility within COHRED mostly focused on working with partners in developing countries to develop projects to improve and strengthen national health research.
Head, Knowledge Sharing and Advocacy
Michael’s expertise is in science, policy communication and the emerging field of knowledge sharing. He comes to COHRED following 6 years as Chief Knowledge Officer of the CGIAR agricultural research center - International Water Management Institute - based in Sri Lanka and working in Asia and Africa. He has worked in corporate public affairs, as a communications consultant, designing information strategies and campaigns, managing large websites and publications in the corporate and scientific sectors. Michael has led projects to synthesize European Union-funded research on innovation networks, materials science, information society energy and environmental policy. He holds a BA degree in journalism and French literature, with further course work in scientific and technical communication.
Senior Consultant
Tunisia
Dr Hassen Ghannem is a senior consultant for COHRED in North Africa and the Middle East. He is currently Professor of Community Medicine and Head of the Department of Epidemiology at the University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia. Dr Ghannem is a Medical Doctor graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Tunisia. He holds a Masters degree in Community Medicine and Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine of Montreal University, Canada (1987) and is currently a member of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Advisory Committee on Health Research.
In 1999 Dr Ghannem was the Regional Adviser acting for non-communicable diseases in WHO/EMRO; he has been a consultant for WHO on chronic disease prevention and control in low and middle income countries. He has also been a member of AfriHealth where he was responsible for mapping public health schools in North Africa, as part of an Africa-wide mapping project. He is currently a member of the Steering Committee of the Initiative to Strengthen Health Research Capacity in Africa: ISHReCA.
His career interests include the study of epidemiologic transition and its consequences in terms of chronic disease extension in Tunisia and the study of Health Research capacity assessment and strengthening in developing countries. He has published more than 50 peer reviewed scientific papers mainly focused on epidemiologic transition and extension of cardiovascular disease risk factors in Tunisia.
In 1999 Dr Ghannem was the Regional Adviser acting for non-communicable diseases in WHO/EMRO; he has been a consultant for WHO on chronic disease prevention and control in low and middle income countries. He has also been a member of AfriHealth where he was responsible for mapping public health schools in North Africa, as part of an Africa-wide mapping project. He is currently a member of the Steering Committee of the Initiative to Strengthen Health Research Capacity in Africa: ISHReCA.
His career interests include the study of epidemiologic transition and its consequences in terms of chronic disease extension in Tunisia and the study of Health Research capacity assessment and strengthening in developing countries. He has published more than 50 peer reviewed scientific papers mainly focused on epidemiologic transition and extension of cardiovascular disease risk factors in Tunisia.
Director Council on Health for Development (COHRED)
South Africa
Carel is a public health physician and epidemiologist. He has worked in rural medicine, peri-urban and urban health care and environmental health services, as well as in academic public health education and research ethics training. He has also published in various areas in applied research and public health. Carel was the founding Director of the University of Pretoria’s School of Health Systems and Public Health until his appointment as COHRED Director in January 2004.
Prof. IJsselmuiden, as COHRED Director, is ex-offico member of the Board.
Health Research Web, Web/IT Officer
Brazil
Bruno is a Systems Analyst. He has more than 9 years experience in designing new IT solutions to improve business efficiency and productivity. He served as Consultant at the Brazilian Ministry of Health where he helped expand the Department of Science and Technology's information systems, data collection and validation processes. He has a background in data modeler, software engineering and implementing information systems using a variety of technologies.
Senior Research Fellow
Botswana
Mapping African Research Ethics Capacity (MARC), Botswana
(joint programme of COHRED and University of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa)
Boitumelo is responsible for managing the MARC Project. Her tasks include: implementing the mapping of research ethics capacity and research ethics capacity building efforts in Africa; making the information available through a web-based platform (Health Research Web), encouraging use of this facility by all stakeholders concerned; facilitating interactions and discussions needed to develop shared standards for research ethics committees in Africa and providing regular project communication.
Boitumelo’s immense interest in health research and research ethics has made her the first Botswana citizen to be awarded the SARETI (South African Research Ethics Training Initiative) masters scholarship. In 2009, she was awarded the best SARETI masters scholar prize.
She served in the Public Health sector for five years, based at Princess Marina Hospital in Botswana. Post her SARETI training, Boitumelo has made noteworthy contributions in the health research field to the Botswana Ministry of Health, and Princess Marina Hospital, where she served as a member of the National Health Research Ethics committee and hospital research coordinator respectively.
(joint programme of COHRED and University of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa)
Boitumelo is responsible for managing the MARC Project. Her tasks include: implementing the mapping of research ethics capacity and research ethics capacity building efforts in Africa; making the information available through a web-based platform (Health Research Web), encouraging use of this facility by all stakeholders concerned; facilitating interactions and discussions needed to develop shared standards for research ethics committees in Africa and providing regular project communication.
Boitumelo’s immense interest in health research and research ethics has made her the first Botswana citizen to be awarded the SARETI (South African Research Ethics Training Initiative) masters scholarship. In 2009, she was awarded the best SARETI masters scholar prize.
She served in the Public Health sector for five years, based at Princess Marina Hospital in Botswana. Post her SARETI training, Boitumelo has made noteworthy contributions in the health research field to the Botswana Ministry of Health, and Princess Marina Hospital, where she served as a member of the National Health Research Ethics committee and hospital research coordinator respectively.
Programme Officer
Argentina
EXPERTISE
Implementation of health research system strengthening strategies at country level, with special focus in priority setting processes in health research.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Process Officer at COHRED, responsible for organisational management including the setting and follow-up of workflow processes.
Fellow at the World Health Organisation headquarters in the Ethics Department and in the Research Ethics Review Committee (ERC), involved in evaluation and analysis of ethics review processes concerning research on human beings.
Cardiovascular research scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, involved in interdisciplinary research project management and staff training.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
BA in Biology from the National University of San Luis, Argentina.
MA in Bioethics and Law from the University of Barcelona, Spain.
PhD in Life Sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland.
