News | M4MGMT

Dr. Onikepe Owolabi joined the Guttmacher Institute as a Senior Research Scientist in 2016. Trained in epidemiological methods and with a clinical background, she has focused her research on measuring the burden of unsafe abortion, maternal morbidity and the delivery of maternal and reproductive health services in low- and middle-income countries.

Dr. Owolabi is currently involved in projects examining the burden of severe maternal morbidity and the availability of medical abortion in Kenya. Prior to joining Guttmacher, she worked as a research fellow in epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

She earned a bachelor of medicine/bachelor of surgery degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, an MSc in global health science from the University of Oxford and a PhD in epidemiology and population health at LSHTM. Dr. Owolabi is a member of the Population Association of American and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Dr. Eduardo P. Banzon, or Dodo Banzon, champions universal health coverage and has long provided technical support to countries in Asia and the Pacific in their pursuit of this goal.

He is a Principal Health Specialist in the Southeast Asia Regional Department (SERD) of the Asian Development Bank. Prior to that he was with the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department of ADB. Before joining ADB in 2014, he was President and CEO of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, World Health Organization (WHO) regional adviser for health financing for the Eastern Mediterranean region and WHO health economist in Bangladesh, and World Bank senior health specialist for the East Asia and Pacific region. He is also a former faculty member of the University of the Philippines’ College of Medicine and Ateneo Graduate School of Business.

He completed BS Biology in University of the Philippines Diliman and MD Medicine in the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, and an MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award for Medicine and Health Systems Development by the University of the Philippines in 2015.

Alex Ergo is the Director, Health Systems at Population Services International (PSI), where he is currently shaping and leading PSI’s youngest department, the Health Systems Accelerator. He has over 25 years of experience in developing more efficient health systems and tackling health inequities in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) around the world.

He has worked with several multilateral, bilateral and international nongovernmental organizations during his career. He started with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in a remote part of Chad, where he helped to rebuild a health system that had collapsed as a result of decades of conflict. Since then, he has worked with the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and bilateral donors such as USAID and DANIDA. He has advised Ministries of Health in various countries, such as Bhutan, Malawi and Senegal, and influenced policy at both global and national levels. For example, he shaped global thinking around universal health coverage by introducing the concept of “progressive universalism” in a Lancet article co-authored with Dave Gwatkin. In Myanmar, he led efforts to first formulate and then orchestrate implementation of the National Health Plan that aimed to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage in a pro-poor way.

Alex combines a deep understanding of the global health landscape and its key players with an appreciation of the realities and challenges faced in LMICs. He received his master’s degree in Health Economics from the University of York in the UK and his PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US.

Mary Kante supports Metrics for Management to build strong partnerships with global health service technical, financial, and implementing partners and further expand our performance measurement tools and services. Mary draws on more than fifteen years of field experience, technical expertise, and business development track record to build strategic, logical, and practical project designs to support strong teaming with partners seeking to innovate and strengthen any aspect of their monitoring, evaluation, or learning (MEL) portfolios and donor MEL planning and proposals.

Mary leads a global consultancy group with a mission to support non-profits, businesses, and governments in deepening their impact to transform the world for the better. Born and raised in Wisconsin to a farming family, Mary’s work in global health reflects her deeply rooted integrity, hard work ethic, and passion to collaborate with a broad group of stakeholders to create clear and quality solutions that meet their priority needs.

Risa Griffin supports Metric’s for Management’s work on the EquityTool and Asset to Income Estimator (A2IE) as a Data Science and Dissemination Specialist. She has expertise in quantitative data management, analysis, and dissemination, as well as developing research and evaluation tools, and mobile data collection. Risa currently consults full time with multiple organizations, including her work with M4M. Previously, she worked as a Research and Evaluation Advisor for Ipas and as a Senior Data Analyst for the Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation at the University of Minnesota. Risa has worked primarily in the area of international reproductive health and rights.

Risa holds a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Population Science Predoctoral Trainee at the Carolina Population Center, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Women’s and Gender Studies from Kenyon College.

Bianca Jackson supports research, technical assistance, and evaluation activities. She has knowledge and expertise in public health research, monitoring and evaluation, and project management. She previously worked as a Research Associate at the Institute for International Programs (IIP) within Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. There, she worked on the Real Accountability: Data Analysis for Results (RADAR) Project and the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) Project. Both projects related to the development, testing and refinement of tools to facilitate the use of rigorous approaches for evaluation of reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health and nutrition programs.

Bianca Jackson holds a Master of Science in Public Health degree in Global Disease Epidemiology and Control, with a Certificate in Vaccine Science and Policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from the University of Victoria, Canada.

Chris has delivered more than 30 years of superior nonprofit management and philanthropy leadership through organizations as varied as foundations led by two former U.S. presidents; prosocial organizations improving global health and livelihood development; a social justice NGO proving the value of cash versus in-kind aid for the extreme poor; the world’s largest conservation organization; and more. In the first half of his career he designed and executed successful capital campaigns for an array of cultural institutions. Through consulting engagements he is now committed to combating climate change; protecting democracy and a free press; and improving equity, health, and economic opportunity around the globe.

Seye Abimbola is a medically qualified public health specialist with expertise in health policy and systems research. He has worked as both a health care provider and researcher primarily in low- and middle-income countries. He is a Research Fellow at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency in Abuja, Nigeria where he works on health and community systems strengthening, as well as a Lecturer in International Public Health at the University of Sydney. His research interests are in developing and testing conceptual tools and analytical approaches to understand and strengthen health system governance in low- and middle-income countries, with special interest in primary health care. Seye is also the Editor-in-Chief of BMJ Global Health.

Seye holds an MBChB in Medicine and Surgery from Obafemi Awolowo University, an MPhil from the University of Sydney in Public Health (Epidemiology), and a PhD from the University of Sydney in Health Policy and Systems.

YJ Choi is a demographer with strong interest and extensive experience in interpretation and translation of research and data for various audiences. She has methodological expertise in household and health facility surveys, and monitoring and evaluation; and subject expertise in health information systems, family planning and reproductive health, and child and neonatal survival. Dr. Choi was formerly the Deputy Director for PMA2020 and Senior Technical Advisor for Population and Metrics at USAID. She earned her DrPH from Johns Hopkins University.

Mari Kuraishi, the co-founder and president of GlobalGiving, is the President of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. Prior to co-founding GlobalGiving, Kuraishi led the Corporate Strategy Group at the World Bank where she was responsible for setting corporate priorities and engendering business innovation for an international financial institution dedicated to fighting poverty worldwide; and was the country anchor and officer for the bank’s Russia program, where she coordinated a sovereign lending program at its Washington, D.C., headquarters. She is chair of the board of directors for GuideStar, USA; chair of the board of directors for DataKind; chair of the board of directors for APOPO US; and a member of the board of advisors for the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University. Mari earned her bachelor’s degree in Modern European History and master’s degree in Russian Studies from Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Professor emerita Dr. Sibley is a certified Nurse Midwife and Medical Anthropologist, with a more than 20 year career at Emory University. She has focused on advancing midwifery education and improving care delivery and health outcomes for mothers and newborns around the world. During her career, Dr. Sibley has developed and tested community-based strategies to reduce maternal and newborn morbidity in developing countries.

Dr. Kim Longfield is the founder of Databoom, a research and communication agency that believes powerful insights can shape the world. Databoom provides research counsel for organizations that want to push development boundaries and accelerate impact.

Kim’s areas of expertise include translating evidence into practice, stakeholder engagement, strategic advising and communications, resource planning, and research studies fit for purpose. She has worked in social marketing, behavior change, social franchising, and market and health systems strengthening. Her research has focused on HIV/AIDS prevention, reproductive health and family planning, safe abortion, maternal and child health, malaria, tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases, gender empowerment, and governance.

Prior to founding Databoom, Kim served as Director of Strategic Research and Evaluation at Population Services International, a global health nonprofit with $600 million in annual revenues and offices in more than 60 countries around the world. Kim has a PhD in Sociology and International Health and a MPH in International Health/Health Communication and Education, both from the Tulane University. She is based in Washington, DC.

At the IKEA Foundation, Steven Chapman is the Head of Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation. He holds a PhD in population dynamics, and was previously responsible for the health and climate change grant portfolio at CIFF, and the Chief Conservation Officer at the World Wildlife Fund in the United States. Prior to WWF, he served as the Research Director and Chief Technical Officer at Population Services International, leading research, development and learning for social marketing and behavior change interventions for health programs in nearly 70 LMICs.

Dr. Chapman has also worked at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research in health systems and technology assessment, Marie Stopes International in reproductive health service delivery, and in the Peace Corps in agricultural market development in Togo.

Dominic’s guidance of Metrics for Management’s mission and approach draws on years of diverse experience in LMICs that includes both academic research and management of development INGO health initiatives. Dominic’s work is focused on the private delivery of health services in developing countries and on measuring and improving health service quality for maternal and reproductive services. He has worked and taught in over 30 countries around the world.

In addition to his role as M4M CEO, Dominic is a Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of UCSF. His current research projects are focused on maternal and neonatal health and social and reproductive health quality in a range of public and private facilities in Kenya and Uttar Pradesh, India.

Click Here to see Dominic’s publications.

Davidson Gwatkin is a Senior Fellow at the Results for Development Institute, and a Senior Associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

He serves as an adviser on health and poverty to the World Bank, UNICEF, and other agencies.

From 2000-03, he was the World Bank’s Principal Health and Poverty Specialist. Before joining the Bank, he had directed the International Health Policy Program, a cooperative effort between two American foundations, the World Bank, and the World Health Organizations to strengthen health policy research capacity in Africa and Asia.

He had previously been with the Ford Foundation in New Delhi, New York, and Lagos; and with the Overseas Development Council in Washington, D.C.

Andrea Sprockett oversees all programmatic and day-to-day operations for Metrics for Management, ensuring a systematic approach to project development, financial and strategic planning, advocacy efforts, and partnership development.

Andrea brings expertise in the management of large cross-cultural teams and community engagement initiatives, having previously served as the Director of Global Health Education at Stanford University and as an analyst of social franchising initiatives and health metric development at the University of California, San Francisco. Additionally, Andrea has worked as a program director for AmeriCorps’ Northeast Ohio Literacy Corps and a project manager for One Planet.

She holds a master’s degree in International Public Health from the University of Sydney, a master’s degree in Translation from Kent State University, and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and in International Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Nirali Chakraborty leads our research and technical assistance activities. She formerly oversaw the quality and dissemination of Population Services International’s reproductive health related research internationally.

Nirali also previously worked as a consultant for the World Bank and Broad Branch Associates, specializing in health systems and performance based financing, and has expertise in quantitative research methods.

Nirali has conducted research in, and published articles on, social franchising, health equity, health workforce performance and maternal health. She is fluent in English and French, and proficient in 3 Indian sub-continent languages, Gujarati, Hindi and Bengali.Nirali received her PhD in International Health, with a concentration in Health Systems, from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Please click Here to see Nirali’s publications.

Karla supports research and technical assistance activities. Drawing on her time with non-profit organizations, academic institutions, and state and federal public health agencies, Karla brings a wide range of experience in research methodology, data collection and analysis.

She has worked previously as an epidemiologist with the Georgia Emerging Infections Program and as a public health microbiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she specialized in neglected tropical disease elimination programs.

She has also served as the Director of Research for Water Ecuador, an organization devoted to research and advocacy for improved drinking water access in South and Central America. She is a graduate of Towson University and earned her Master’s in Public Health at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA.

Karen Chang supports research and technical assistance activities at Metrics for Management.

She is experienced in conducting quantitative research and program evaluation in a variety of topic areas, including newborn health and infectious diseases, specifically in low- and middle-income settings.

She previously served as an Allan Rosenfield Global Health Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Tanzania, where she coordinated research and evaluation activities in the laboratory and blood safety branches.

Karen earned a Master of Health Science degree in International Health, with a focus on Global Disease Epidemiology and Control, from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and holds a PhD in the same program.

Dr. Hosang is CEO of Pelagius, Inc. and a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.

He has more than 20 years of experience advising many national governments on the design of maternity health services to reduce maternal mortality and improve birth outcomes.

His work as a senior medical group administrator at a Kaiser Permanente (KP) Medical Center in Northern California for 12 years made him extremely familiar hospital operations, including vendor contracting, pharmacy operations oversight, prenatal care protocols, labor ward and operating room management, neonatal services to support high risk obstetrics and the use of the integrated electronic medical record system at Kaiser Permanente.

Nap is also familiar with the hospital accreditation system in the USA, having successfully coordinated compliance preparation of pharmacy and maternal health services for tri-annual Joint Commission Accreditation (JCAHO) exercises for more than a decade.

He retired from active clinical practice in 2010 to spend more time on public health endeavors.

Mr. Montagu is an independent consultant and small business owner in Alberta, Canada where he owns land that he leases to an organic beef producer.

He divides his time between Alberta and Montana, and has traveled widely throughout the world.

Mr. Montagu is a board member of the Alchemy Foundation and has spent significant time in Africa to provide oversight of foundation-supported programs.