Public Health Research Scientist

Career History

Implementation Scientist | Real-World Evidence | Market Access & Health Systems Strategy Specialist in translating complex evidence into scalable delivery models across regulated health systems, working across governments, multilateral agencies, and private-sector stakeholders to expand access to evidence-based treatments.

Associate Research Scientist 07.2023 - present

Yale School of Medicine. Connecticut, USA

  • Analyze system-level factors shaping adoption and implementation of evidence-based treatments in criminal justice and public health settings in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
  • Generate real-world evidence on barriers and facilitators affecting uptake, adherence, and sustainability of pharmacological interventions
  • Translate research findings into policy- and implementation-relevant insights for private and multilateral stakeholders

Implementation & Policy Consultant 09.2021 - present

Selected clients include multilateral organisations, NGOs, and private-sector health companies (e.g. pharmaceutical and digital health) Gilead Sciences and other private-sector health clients

  • Advise on stakeholder environments shaping adoption and scale-up of evidence-based health interventions across regulated health systems
  • Analyze system-level barriers affecting uptake, adherence, and implementation across complex policy and delivery environments
  • Contribute implementation and policy expertise informing access strategies targeting underserved populations

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. Islamabad, Pakistan

  • Assess feasibility, regulatory alignment, and implementation pathways for introducing opioid agonist therapies in complex health system environments
  • Translate global clinical evidence into context-adapted delivery frameworks supporting sustainable treatment access among people who inject drugs
  • Engage governmental, clinical, civil society, and private-sector stakeholders shaping treatment delivery ecosystems

European Prison Litigation Network. Kyiv, Ukraine

  • Organize investigation of Russian war crimes in de-occupied Ukrainian territories by training local researchers in qualitative methods
  • Lead systematic review of medical ethics in European prison governance to inform institutional standards and oversight frameworks

Postdoctoral fellow 09.2021 - 06.2023

Yale School of Public Health. Connecticut, USA

  • Investigated system-level determinants shaping implementation of addiction treatment across Ukraine, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan
  • Secured competitive funding (Fogarty Fellowship, Fulbright, K01, R21 grant) to address emerging public health challenges among most at-risk populations in Eastern European and Central Asia
  • Liaised with U.S. and European public health policymakers to align research outputs with policy priorities

Public health researcher 09.2011 - 05.2020

Yale University Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS. Connecticut, USA

  • Implemented representative biobehavioral health survey in prisons across Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan (n>1,000) to identify drivers of HIV transmission and inform service provision strategies
  • Developed and executed NIH-funded implementation science studies aimed at optimizing delivery of addiction treatment in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
  • Disseminated mixed-methods findings to policy and institutional stakeholders to support health system improvements
  • Published policy-relevant research (35+ peer-reviewed publications) on infectious diseases, criminal justice systems, and health inequities

Education

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK 2020

Ph.D. in Public Health & Policy PhD: Methadone as ‘indiscipline’: the making of the virtuous subject in Kyrgyz prisons, with honors

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK 2014

M.Sc. in Control of Infectious Diseases

Wesleyan University, CT, USA 2008

B.A. in Eastern European Studies

Fellowships and Awards

Fund for Lesbian and Gay Studies (FLAGS) Research Award 2022

LGBT Studies, Yale University, CT, USA

Yale AIDS Prevention Training Program Fellowship 2021 - 2020

Yale Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS. CT, USA

Jerry Morris Prize for outstanding doctoral reseearch 2021

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. London, UK

Global Health Equity Scholarship Post- & Pre- Doctoral Fellowships 2017 & 2021

National Institutes of Health. Maryland, USA.

European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction Scientific Award 2016

EMCDDA. Lisbon, Portugal

Fulbright Research Fellowship in Ukraine 2009 - 2011

U.S. State Department. Washington D.C., USA

Center for Humanities Research Fellowship 2007 - 2008

Wesleyan University. CT, USA

Languages

English (native), Ukrainian (fluent), Spanish (fluent), German (fluent), Swedish (fluent), American Sign Language (intermediate), French (intermediate), Yiddish (intermediate), Georgian (intermediate), Russian (fluent)