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Professor Shabbar Jaffar appointed as Director of the UCL Institute for Global Health
7 March 2022
We are delighted to announce that Professor Shabbar Jaffar will take up the post of Director of the UCL Institute for Global Health from 1 July 2022.
Shabbar joins UCL from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) where he is Professor of Epidemiology and Head of the Department of International Public Health. Previously, he was at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where he completed his PhD on the natural history of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.
At LSTM, Shabbar has been passionate about building careers of junior and middle-level staff, about equality at work and creating an inclusive culture. He is a strong believer in research through equitable partnerships. Last year, his research group RESPOND-Africa won the Times Higher Education (THE) International Collaboration of the Year award for ‘creating a partnership that resulted in a step-change in research and policy’.
Shabbar has maintained a strong involvement in HIV intervention studies throughout his career. More recently, he has become involved in research on the control of non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, given their rapid rise on the continent. He leads a research programme on the prevention and management of HIV, diabetes and hypertension with partners in Tanzania, Uganda, UK and Europe.
He has extensive collaborations with researchers and policymakers in many countries. He has lived in The Gambia, Uganda, Malawi and South Africa and prior to that, collaborated with partners in India and Thailand.
Professor Shabbar Jaffar said: “I am really thrilled to be joining UCL. I have followed the careers and admired the work of many staff at UCL over many years and it is a real privilege to be joining you. I am particularly excited to come to a truly multidisciplinary institution that is so uniquely placed to tackle the major global health challenges.”
Dean of the UCL Faculty of Population Health Sciences, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar, said: “I am delighted with the appointment of Professor Shabbar Jaffar to lead our global health institute. The UCL Institute for Global Health is a place where staff and students are committed to achieving health equity through research, innovation and education. Shabbar’s extensive international experience, leadership and passion for equitable partnerships with global partners is an excellent match for the institute.”
Professor Shabbar Jaffar will take over from Professor Richard Gilson, who has served as interim Director since August 2021. We would like to thank Richard for his leadership during this time.