Expert Advisory Council

ISUH's Expert Advisory Council (EAC) comprises recognized leaders in urban health research, policy, and practice. The EAC provides scientific guidance, peer review, and substantive input on ISUH's research agenda, conference programming, and strategic priorities. Members represent expertise in epidemiology, urban planning, housing policy, climate adaptation, community health, health equity, and related fields across multiple continents.

Expert Advisory Council

  • Former Coordinator WHO Public Health and Environment Department, Geneva, Switzerland

    Dr. Carlos Dora has a distinguished career in global public health and environment. Until recently, he coordinated the WHO’s global work on health impacts of sector policies (energy, transport, housing, extractive industry) and on articulating a global response to air pollution. He led the development of a new Urban Health Initiative to strengthen health systems capacity in cities to support health, climate and air quality benefits from urban policies, which is under pilot implementation in Africa and Asia. He also led the development of a framework for how public health can contribute to Habitat III objectives and the New Urban Agenda. He previously led knowledge synthesis about the health co-benefits of climate change mitigation policies, in a “Health in a Green Economy” series and contributed to the development of health indicators for post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. He has worked to include health into strategic environment assessments and into Development Banks Safeguards. He contributed to establishment of an inter-ministerial process for transport health and environment in Europe (THE PEP), led a health task force in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, and earlier engaged in health risk assessments in the ex-Soviet Union. He has worked in academia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and as a visiting professor at Columbia University School of Public Health. He worked at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, with the World Bank, and in the organization and innovation of primary care systems in Brazil, where he also practiced clinical medicine. He has served in many science/policy committees at national and international levels and is engaged in many global partnerships. He currently advises governments, civil society and philanthropy about health as it relates to non-heath sector policies and the urban environment. His research and publications include health impact assessment as well as perceptions and communication of science and health risks by scientists, media and politicians. He is a medical doctor and an epidemiologist with an MSc and a PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

  • Policy and Programme Manager, PEAK Urban and Oxford Martin Informal Cities, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

    Francisco Obando is dedicated to improving urban wellbeing, particularly of poor and marginalized populations. He has designed and implemented programs to affect urban health from various roles in local and national governments as well as advocacy and academic institutions. Currently, Francisco works for the University of Oxford and is responsible for the uptake of evidence from the Prediction, Emergency, Adoption and Knowledge (PEAK) Urban and Oxford Martin Informal Cities research programs by those engaged in urban practice and policymaking. As consultant for the Training and Research Support Centre, he is also producing and disseminating a resource to guide practitioners in evaluating social participation in health. Previously, Francisco managed the Healthy Neighbourhoods Project of the City of Quito and the Healthy Cities Programme of the Ministry of Health of Ecuador. Prior to moving to Ecuador, Francisco worked for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as Project Officer of the Municipal Partners for Economic Development Programme. He has an MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine from the University of Oxford and an MSc in Urban Planning from the University of Toronto. 

  • Dr. Sainath Banerjee, a preeminent figure in India's urban health landscape, has dedicated the past two decades to pioneering advancements in the field. His expertise spans primary health care, Health System Strengthening (HSS), integrated multi-sectoral urban health planning, governance, and addressing equity issues, particularly for marginalized communities. Dr. Sainath played a pivotal role in transforming donor-funded pilots into a comprehensive national urban health program in India, demonstrating his prowess in architectural design support, strategic planning, and innovative approaches. Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Sainath has held key leadership positions, including deputy program director, program director, and Chief of Party, collaborating with major bilateral donors, foundations, and UN agencies. His domain expertise encompasses Urban Health Planning, Health System Assessment, Policy Advocacy, Governance, Capacity Building, Partnership Management, Community Engagement, and Organizational Development. 

    Notably, Dr. Sainath had been a member of the Board of the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) and continues to contribute as a Member of the Scientific Committee – ISUH and Technical Resource Group (TRG) for the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) in India. His association with groundbreaking initiatives, such as those with USAID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Asian Development Bank, showcases his commitment to advancing urban health on a global scale. Dr. Sainath's contributions extend to presenting papers in international conferences and publishing articles and chapters on urban health topics. 

    A medical anthropologist with a Ph.D. in Population Genetics, Dr. Sainath brings a unique blend of research and practical experience. He has been Research Fellow at the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, MoHFW, Govt. of India, he continues to shape the future of urban health through his unwavering commitment and dynamic leadership. Dr. Sainath Banerjee is not only a seasoned urban health expert but also a transformative leader who has significantly influenced the trajectory of urban health programs, policies, and research in India and beyond. 

  • Co-Creator, CoP Urban Health - International Society of City and Regional Planners, Switzerland

    Elisabeth Belpaire, an International Urban & Spatial Planning Advisor and engineer architect with over 25 years of experience, is committed to pushing policy, practice and research at the intersections of urban and regional planning, health, environment and climate change.  Currently, Elisabeth is an active member of the Board and Executive Committee of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), co-leading the ‘Community of Practice on Urban Health’ including training workshops with UN-Habitat and WHO, member of the COP27 Team, and contributing to the organization of the October 2022 World Planning Congress (WPC) in Brussels ‘From Wealthy to Healthy Cities’. She launched ‘Women in Planning’ at the recent WPC in Qatar. She develops transformative thinking and ideas with others, and shares as a keynote speaker, including on SDG11 and TEDx in Geneva. She developed a Foundation’s strategy for integrating healthy early childhood development into the planning and management of cities. As Head of UN-Habitat in Kosovo, she led post-conflict programs, establishing a new strategic inclusive integrated planning system and creating a regional capacity building instrument to address informal settlements with South East European governments, European Investment Bank and partners. She has worked on disaster risk reduction and sustainable development in Vietnam, supported economic and urban regeneration of historical centers in the West Bank and worked in the private and non-profit sectors in several European countries on urban design and strategic planning, open public space, urban governance, architecture and housing. Elisabeth holds an Advanced MSc in Urban and Spatial/Regional Planning from Leuven University and a MSc in Engineering Architecture from Ghent University, Belgium. She currently lives in the Geneva area. 

  • Director and Clinical Investigator, Global Health Research & Medical Interventions Institute (GLOHMED), Nepal

    Dr. Suraj Bhattarai is a clinician-scientist with interest in infectious & tropical diseases, currently leading surviellance and diagnostic studies in Nepal. He is founding director of GLOHMED, a Kathmandu-based medical research institute, and a global health researcher (WISE fellow) at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom. Previously, he worked as a technical adviser for GIZ Nepal. Dr. Bhattarai has contributed to several global health reports, including recent WHO report- ‘Setting global research priorities for urban health’ (South-east Asia regional lead) and the national vulnerability & risk assessment (VRA) on climate sensitive diseases.

    Dr. Bhattarai, since 2016, he has been contributing to several high-level scientific committees, including those with Inter-Academy Partnership (IAP), International Science Council (ISC), International Society of Urban Health (ISUH), UK Academy of Medical Sciences and global health research funding bodies. He also served the scientific committee of Urban Health & Wellbeing Programme (at IUE, Chinese Academy of Sciences). Dr. Bhattarai is the first Nepali physician selected for IAP Young Physician Leaders Programme and Global Young Academy fellowship. He is a Lindau Nobel Laureate Young Scientist and founding executive member of National Young Academy of Nepal. He can be reached at Suraj.Bhattarai@glohmed.org / www.glohmed.org.

  • Lawrence C. Nussdorf Professor of Urban Education and Research, University of Pennsylvania, Chair of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme’s World Urban Campaign, United States of America

    Eugénie L. Birch FAICP, FAcSS, RTPI (hon), is the Nussdorf Professor of Urban Research, Department of City and Regional Planning, and Graduate Dean, Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania. She is the founding co-director of the Penn Institute for Urban Research, dedicated to integrative research and instruction in sustainable urban development. She is co-editor, University of Pennsylvania Press’s City in the 21st Century series and co-editor, SSRN Urban Research e-journal. She is currently engaged in a multi-center study “City Climate Resilient Infrastructure Finance,” involving work with Freetown, Sierra Leone, Accra, Ghana, and the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), in partnership with City Climate Finance Leadership Alliance. Birch serves on the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Executive Committee and the Board of the Regional Plan Association. She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Future Council on Urbanization, and President, General Assembly of Partners (GAP) for the implementation of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda. Selected publications include Galapagos Goes Green, Resiliency and CO2 Emission Reduction Pathways via Green Transportation (PennIUR, 2021), Financing Cities’ Recovery from COVID-19 and Preparing for Future Shocks (U20, 2020), and The Post-COVID Economy: Transitioning to Sustainable Consumption and Production in Cities and Regions (U20, 2020). Dr Birch holds a PhD and Master’s degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University. 

  • Professor, Department of City and Regional Planning and the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, and Director, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, Berkeley, United States of America

    Jason Corburn, PhD is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, jointly appointed in the Department of City and Regional Planning and the School of Public Health. Dr. Corburn directs Berkeley’s Institute of Urban and Regional Development, the joint Master of City Planning (MCP) and Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program and leads the Center for Global Healthy Cities. His research focuses on the links between environmental health and the social justice in cities, notions of expertise in science-based policy making and the role of local knowledge in addressing environmental and public health problems. Dr. Corburn is currently working on developing a strategy for integrating health equity into all decision making in city governance, drafting and implementing integrated upgrading plans for informal settlements and researching metrics and indicators for urban health equity. Furthermore, Jason has received numerous awards for his work, including the United Nations Association Global Citizenship Award, the 2016 UC Berkeley Chancellor's Award for Public Service in Teaching, the Paul Davidoff Book Award for Street Science, and a Health Policy Investigator Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

  • Dana and David Dornsife Dean and Distinguished University Professor of Epidemiology, Dornsife School of Public Health and Director of the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative, United States of America

    Ana V. Diez Roux, MD, PHD, MPH, is the Dana and David Dornsife Dean and Distinguished University Professor of Epidemiology at the Dornsife School of Public Health and Director of the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative. Originally trained as a pediatrician in her native Buenos Aires, she completed training at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. Before joining Drexel, she served on the faculties of Columbia University and the University of Michigan, where she was Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Director of the Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health. Dr. Diez Roux is internationally known for her research on the social determinants of population health and how neighborhoods affect health, which has been highly influential in the policy debate on population health and its determinants. Her research areas include social epidemiology and health disparities, environmental health effects, urban health, psychosocial factors, cardiovascular disease epidemiology, social environment-gene interactions, and the use of multilevel methods and complex systems approaches in population health. She has led large NIH and foundation funded research and training programs in the United States and in collaboration with various institutions in Latin America and is currently Principal Investigator of the Wellcome Trust funded SALURBAL (Salud Urbana en América Latina) study. Dr. Diez Roux has served on numerous editorial boards, review panels and advisory committees. She has received the Wade Hampton Frost Award for her contributions to public health from the American Public Health Association and the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Epidemiology from the American College of Epidemiology. She is an elected member of the American Epidemiological Society and the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 2009. 

  • Resident Member, Hassan II Academy of Sciences and Technology of Morocco (HIIAST) and Steering Committee Member, Royal Institute for Strategic Studies (IRES), Morocco

    Dr. Rajae El Aouad is a Resident Member of the Hassan II Academy of Sciences and Technology (HIIAST) and a Member of the Steering Committee of the Royal Institute for Strategic Studies (IRES). She holds an MD, a Master of Sciences and a Master of Health Policy and Management. Rajae has had the position of President of University for a New Africa, Vice-President for Research and Cooperation and Director of the Public Health School at the University Mohammed VIth for Health Sciences-Casablanca, Morocco, Director of the National Institute of Hygiene -NIH, and Chief of the Immunology Virology Department at the NIH. She devoted the first part of her career to strengthen Public Health Laboratory Services in Morocco and set up several national and WHO reference laboratories at the NIH. She established among other important initiatives, the Influenza Surveillance Program and concluded a Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention-USA She has almost 100 publications in peer reviewed journals and served on several international and WHO scientific advisory committees. She recently was appointed as Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the WHO World Report on Social Determinants of Health, Member of ASRIC ADVISORY BOARD ON STI INTERVENTION FOR COVID-19, EMRO-Social Determinants of Health Commission, and President of National Commission on Health Equity, Morocco Currently, she is pursuing her early commitment at the Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology advocating for public health institutional strengthening, health research capacity building and  knowledge management and co-production (translating research into actions, practices and products by providing evidence to inform health policy); and enjoying practicing her medical, biological and public health training in her private clinical laboratory, providing patients with her great knowledge and experience in clinical biology and related Quality Management System. She was named to the Women in Science Hall of Fame by the U.S. Department of State in 2012. 

  • Sesquicentennial Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand

    Philippa Howden-Chapman, sesquicentennial distinguished professor of public health at the University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand, is co-director of He Kāinga Oranga/ Housing and Health Research Programme and director of the NZ Centre for Sustainable Cities. She conducts randomised community housing trials in partnership with local communities, which have had a major influence on housing, energy, urban policy and health. Her work focuses on reducing inequalities in the determinants of health and wellbeing.

    She is a director on the board of the Crown Entity Kāinga Ora-homes and communities, a fellow of the Royal Society of NZ and chair of the International Science Council Committee, Urban Health and Wellbeing: a systems approach. She has received numerous awards, including the Prime Minister’s Science Team Prize and the Royal Society of NZ Rutherford Medal. She was awarded a Queen’s Service Order and for contributions to public health a Companion of the NZ Order of Merit.

  • Co-Founder & Executive Director, PlacemakingX, United States of America

    Ethan Kent works to support public space organizations, projects, and leadership around the world to build a global placemaking movement. Ethan has traveled to more than 1000 cities and towns, and 60 countries to advance the cause of leading urban development with inclusive public spaces and placemaking. In 2019 he co-founded PlacemakingX to network, amplify, and accelerate placemaking leadership and impact globally. He builds on more than 20 years of working on placemaking projects and campaigns with Project for Public Spaces. Ethan has been integral to the development of placemaking as a transformative approach to economic development, environmentalism, transportation planning, governance, resilience, social equity, design, digital space, tourism, and innovation. Ethan has keynoted well over 100 top urbanism conferences and has helped organize dozens of the placemaking conferences that have most shaped the movement.

  • Research Scientist, Urbanization and Wellbeing Program, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), Kenya

    Professor Blessing Mberu is the Head of Urbanization & Wellbeing Research Unit at African Population and Health Research Center and Honorary Professor of Demography and Population Studies, University of Witwatersrand. He holds a MA and PhD in Sociology, with specialization in Demography, from Brown University and a BSc in Sociology from Imo State University, Okigwe (now Abia State University, Uturu) and an MSc in Sociology (Demographic and Population Studies) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. His work covers migration, urbanization, urban informal settlements, and urban health in sub-Saharan Africa. He is in the International Advisory Board of Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre and has over three decades of multidisciplinary research experience across sub-Saharan Africa.

  • Founder & Principal, UrbanBetter, United Kingdom

    Tolullah Oni is joint lead of the Global Diet and Activity Research Group, University of Cambridge; Honorary Associate Professor, University of Cape Town (UCT); and Founder & Principal of UrbanBetter | Oni et al. As a Public Health Physician and Urban Epidemiologist, her work supports a coordinated approach between science, policy, and societal role players, identifying creative and long-term strategies to address complex urban health challenges in rapidly growing cities. She has served as Scientific Adviser for several organizations including Future Earth and the International Science Council and is an Editorial Board Member of Lancet Planetary Health, Cities and Health, and the Journal of Urban Health. In recognition of her work, she has been profiled in the Lancet journal, Science magazine, and the British Medical Journal, and is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, Next Einstein Forum Fellow and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. 

  • Professor, School of Geography, University of Bristol and Emeritus Professor, African Centre for Cities, University of Cape Town, Bristol, United Kingdom

    Susan Parnell is a Professor in the School of Geography at the University of Bristol and Emeritus Professor at the African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town. She has been actively involved in local, national and global urban policy debates around the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, leading the push for an urban goals, and is an advocate for better science policy engagement on cities. Her publications focus on how cities, past and present, respond to policy change. Her most recent books include the co-authored Building a Capable State: Post Apartheid Service Delivery (Zed, 2017) and the co-edited The Urban Planet (Cambridge, 2018)and Localising SDGs in African Cities (Springer, 2022). 

  • Founder & Chair, 8 80 Cities, Canada

    Gil (Guillermo) Peñalosa, MBA, PhDhc, is passionate about creating equitable and sustainable cities, where all people can live healthier and happier. Gil is the founder and chair of the Canadian non-profit organization 8 80 Cities. He is also Ambassador of World Urban Parks. He has worked in over 350 different cities, in all continents. Before immigrating to Canada, Gil was Commissioner in Bogota, where he led the construction of over 200 parks and 100 kilometers of Open Streets. He holds an MBA from UCLA, and a PhDhc from SLU’s Urban Planning, Sweden. Gil is in Planetizen’s Top 50 Most Influential Urbanists and recently received in Australia the World Urban Parks Distinguished Individual Award. 

  • Director of the Social Research Center (SRC) of The American University in Cairo (AUC), Cairo, Egypt

    Dr. Hoda Rashad is a Professor and Director of the Social Research Center of The American University in Cairo (AUC). She holds a PhD in population studies from the University of London. Previously, Dr. Rashad worked as chief technical advisor of the United Nations, an associate of the International Population Council, and a faculty member at the Institute of Statistical Studies and Research, Cairo University. Personal research interests include social policies for development, health equity and social determinants of health, gender issues, and demographic analysis. She is a resource person and consultant to several national and international organizations. Currently, she serves as a member of the Arab States Office of UNFPA Research Advisory Group, member of the Policy Advisory Group of WHO international report on ‘Social Determinants of Health Equity, member of the international advisory group of Institute of Global Health and Development (IGHD) of Aga Khan University. Previously, she served as a member of three high-level Commissions established by WHO: Eastern Mediterranean Commission on Social Determinants of Health, Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity, Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Dr. Rashad also served as a member of the Technical Advisory Committee to the Regional Director of WHO/EMRO, member of the Advisory Committee of the WHO Center for Health Development (ACWKC) in Kobe, Japan, for the period of three years, member of the Regional External Advisory Panel for UNFPA Arab States Regional Office, and Vice-Chairman of the Dutch Development Assistance Research Council (RAWOO). T In Egypt, Dr. Rashad served as a member of the National Council for Women, a member of the Senate (Shura Council), member of the Social, Humanity and Population Science Council, the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (2009-2012). She has published many scientific papers and has contributed to several reports whose recommendations were endorsed in resolutions adopted by the World Health Assembly of WHO. 

  • Professor Emeritus, University of Paris Ouest, France

    Professor Gérard Salem completed a BA and MA degree in Geography (University of Paris 1 – Sorbonne), and a Ph.D. in African Studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (E.H.E.S.S.) in Paris. Additionally, he completed a Master’s in Urbanism at the Institut d’ Etues Politiques de Paris and another Master’s in Epidemiology at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. As a researcher with Overseas Scientific and Technical Research Office (ORSTOM), he worked from 1980-1988 and from 2009-2013 in Senegal, has been Full Professor of Geography of Health at the University of Paris-Nanterre (1997-2016), Invited Professor in the Universities of Constantine, Dakar, UC Berkeley, leading research in Africa, Maghreb, France, and South-East Asia. He has been a member of various public decision-making bodies in France, such as the Public National Health Insurance Fund and the National Observatory of medical demography and Health Care Accessibility, etc. He is the author of twelve books and over 200 articles and recently published the World Health Atlas (2019, Editions Autrement). He is currently Professor Emeritus, in charge of the Urban Health program developed by “Médecins du Monde” in Manila, and one of the leaders of the "Health and Bioethics" and "Environmental Health" commissions of the “French Human Rights League”. His thematic field of expertise are urban health, social and territorial inequalities of health, geography of health, spatial epidemiology, and cooperation between researchers and decision-makers. 

  • Associate Professor of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad de los Andes, Colombia

    Dr. Lucia Sarmiento is an Associate Professor of Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad de los Andes. She received her MD from the Javeriana University in Bogota, Colombia and her MPH and PhD in epidemiology from the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her main focus is on the epidemiology of chronic, noncommunicable diseases and physical activity and the built environment in both children and adults in Latin America. In the past 10 years, Dr. Sarmiento has received an award at the 4th International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health in Sydney, Australia, for her work on familial determinants of sedentary behavior in children between 5 and 18 years from Colombia as well as an honorary distinction from Coldeportes National for her academic work towards promoting healthy behaviors in Columbia and an award for best research at the AMNET Congress for her work regarding the importance of indicators of the physical environment in the surveillance of chronic disease.

  • Program Manager, Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), Russia

    Anna Siprikova is currently a Program Manager at Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), where she works on the Streets for Kids program and is a co-author of the award-winning Designing Streets for Kids guide. She is an urban planner by day, mother by night, and a tireless healthy cities advocate in between. Prior to joining National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)-GDCI, Anna worked at Project for Public Spaces in New York, where she contributed to the Southwest Airlines Heart of the Community Program to improve underutilized public spaces throughout the United States. Anna has been a presenter and trainer at numerous national and international conferences, seminars, and workshops, most recently in Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Russia, and South Korea. She spent two years in Norman, Oklahoma as a Fulbright scholar conducting research on minority communities and assisting the Institute for Quality Communities, a non-profit dedicated to helping people reshape their towns and cities in ways that improve social ties, environment, and economy. 

  • Independent Consultant, United States of America

    José Siri has developed and applied systems approaches to urban and planetary health, focusing on leveraging science for healthy development, devising simple system tools to catalyze better decision-making, and improving understanding of complex challenges. His work has touched on urban studies, climate and health, sustainable development, systems thinking, transdisciplinarity, epidemiology, ecology, infectious disease, public health, and malaria control. His experience, which spans five continents, includes time at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health, and the Wellcome Trust, and extensive engagement with researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, along with policy briefs and commentaries in publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to the Global Sustainable Development Report. He is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council for Cities, a co-founder of the Urban Health Research Network for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC-Urban Health), and a Commissioner on the Tsinghua-Lancet Commission for Healthy Cities in China. He currently consults for the World Bank and the World Health Organization and holds advisory roles with the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, Future Earth, CDP, and a variety of urban and planetary health research projects. 

  • Professor of Planning and Director Healthy Built Environments Program, The University of New South Wales, Australia

    Dr. Susan Thompson is Professor of Planning and Associate Director (Healthy Built Environments), City Futures Research Centre in the School of Built Environment, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture at UNSW Sydney. Susan is one of the first urban planners in Australia to advocate for the importance of healthy built environments, making significant contributions to the field’s research evidence base, interdisciplinary educational curriculum and body of scholarship from an urban planning perspective. Her contributions have advanced understandings about the supportive nature of the built environment for health and wellbeing as part of everyday living, contributing to legislative innovation, policy and practice to enhance the strategic relationship between urban planning and health. Susan has received numerous awards for her work, including the prestigious Sidney Luker Medal (2015) and the Australian Urban Research Medal (2017). Susan is an avid Nordic Pole walker (and sun hat wearer) in vast urban green spaces and delights in unexpected connections with people and their furry companions on her mentally and physically restorative rambles! 

  • Associate Dean for Research, School of Nursing, Yale University, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Urban Health, United States of America

    Dr. David Vlahov, PhD RN, is Professor of Nursing and Public Health at Yale University, Editor of the Journal of Urban Health and editor of four books on urban health. He is President Emeritus for the International Society for Urban Health. He currently co-leads on the Yale Urban Initiative between the Yale Schools of Nursing, Public Health, Environment, Architecture, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Management to address issues of sustainability, equity and health. 

  • Former Coordinator WHO Public Health and Environment Department, Geneva, Switzerland

    Dr. Carlos Dora has a distinguished career in global public health and environment. Until recently, he coordinated the WHO’s global work on health impacts of sector policies (energy, transport, housing, extractive industry) and on articulating a global response to air pollution. He led the development of a new Urban Health Initiative to strengthen health systems capacity in cities to support health, climate and air quality benefits from urban policies, which is under pilot implementation in Africa and Asia. He also led the development of a framework for how public health can contribute to Habitat III objectives and the New Urban Agenda. He previously led knowledge synthesis about the health co-benefits of climate change mitigation policies, in a “Health in a Green Economy” series and contributed to the development of health indicators for post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. He has worked to include health into strategic environment assessments and into Development Banks Safeguards. He contributed to establishment of an inter-ministerial process for transport health and environment in Europe (THE PEP), led a health task force in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, and earlier engaged in health risk assessments in the ex-Soviet Union. He has worked in academia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and as a visiting professor at Columbia University School of Public Health. He worked at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, with the World Bank, and in the organization and innovation of primary care systems in Brazil, where he also practiced clinical medicine. He has served in many science/policy committees at national and international levels and is engaged in many global partnerships. He currently advises governments, civil society and philanthropy about health as it relates to non-heath sector policies and the urban environment. His research and publications include health impact assessment as well as perceptions and communication of science and health risks by scientists, media and politicians. He is a medical doctor and an epidemiologist with an MSc and a PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

  • Director of Healthy Housing

    Camille Medema, MPH, BSN RN is a public health professional with extensive field-based experience in the US and Latin America. She is passionate about working with communities to find solutions that improve health and well-being, especially with a race equity lens. Camille graduated from Calvin University with a BSN in nursing, and a Masters in Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis. She has worked in community-based programs in mental health and maternal and newborn care in the US. She also lived for 7 years in Bolivia, where she led WASH programs, large-scale data collection for field trials in conservation, and supported grass-roots organizational project planning, monitoring, and evaluation.

    Prior to joining ISUH, Camille was program manager for ARCHIVE Global, supporting Mud to Mortar in Bangladesh. The stories of transformation and success that she hears in her work – through in-depth interviews with key actors in the fight against chagas disease, monitoring a community health promoter training program, or surveys of farmers who conserve their water resources – are the input and inspiration for her work.

  • Director of Communications, Events & Community

    Lauren Schiff brings over a decade of experience in program management, community building, and event production, with expertise in cultural, wellness, and education-based events, conferences, activations, and festivals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History with a Minor in Communications, and a Masters of Arts in Arts and Cultural Management, with a focus on Placemaking.

    Lauren is passionate about using the arts and culture as powerful tools to foster collaboration and raise awareness around critical urban health issues. Based between Barcelona and the US, she brings a global perspective to ISUH’s mission to drive social change by creating engaging, impactful experiences that promote collaboration, awareness, and creative approaches to urban health challenges.

  • Director of Communications, Events & Community

    Lauren Schiff brings over a decade of experience in program management, community building, and event production, with expertise in cultural, wellness, and education-based events, conferences, activations, and festivals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History with a Minor in Communications, and a Masters of Arts in Arts and Cultural Management, with a focus on Placemaking.

    Lauren is passionate about using the arts and culture as powerful tools to foster collaboration and raise awareness around critical urban health issues. Based between Barcelona and the US, she brings a global perspective to ISUH’s mission to drive social change by creating engaging, impactful experiences that promote collaboration, awareness, and creative approaches to urban health challenges.

  • Director of Communications, Events & Community

    Lauren Schiff brings over a decade of experience in program management, community building, and event production, with expertise in cultural, wellness, and education-based events, conferences, activations, and festivals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History with a Minor in Communications, and a Masters of Arts in Arts and Cultural Management, with a focus on Placemaking.

    Lauren is passionate about using the arts and culture as powerful tools to foster collaboration and raise awareness around critical urban health issues. Based between Barcelona and the US, she brings a global perspective to ISUH’s mission to drive social change by creating engaging, impactful experiences that promote collaboration, awareness, and creative approaches to urban health challenges.

  • Director of Communications, Events & Community

    Lauren Schiff brings over a decade of experience in program management, community building, and event production, with expertise in cultural, wellness, and education-based events, conferences, activations, and festivals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History with a Minor in Communications, and a Masters of Arts in Arts and Cultural Management, with a focus on Placemaking.

    Lauren is passionate about using the arts and culture as powerful tools to foster collaboration and raise awareness around critical urban health issues. Based between Barcelona and the US, she brings a global perspective to ISUH’s mission to drive social change by creating engaging, impactful experiences that promote collaboration, awareness, and creative approaches to urban health challenges.

  • Director of Communications, Events & Community

    Lauren Schiff brings over a decade of experience in program management, community building, and event production, with expertise in cultural, wellness, and education-based events, conferences, activations, and festivals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History with a Minor in Communications, and a Masters of Arts in Arts and Cultural Management, with a focus on Placemaking.

    Lauren is passionate about using the arts and culture as powerful tools to foster collaboration and raise awareness around critical urban health issues. Based between Barcelona and the US, she brings a global perspective to ISUH’s mission to drive social change by creating engaging, impactful experiences that promote collaboration, awareness, and creative approaches to urban health challenges.

  • Director of Communications, Events & Community

    Lauren Schiff brings over a decade of experience in program management, community building, and event production, with expertise in cultural, wellness, and education-based events, conferences, activations, and festivals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History with a Minor in Communications, and a Masters of Arts in Arts and Cultural Management, with a focus on Placemaking.

    Lauren is passionate about using the arts and culture as powerful tools to foster collaboration and raise awareness around critical urban health issues. Based between Barcelona and the US, she brings a global perspective to ISUH’s mission to drive social change by creating engaging, impactful experiences that promote collaboration, awareness, and creative approaches to urban health challenges.

  • Director of Communications, Events & Community

    Lauren Schiff brings over a decade of experience in program management, community building, and event production, with expertise in cultural, wellness, and education-based events, conferences, activations, and festivals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History with a Minor in Communications, and a Masters of Arts in Arts and Cultural Management, with a focus on Placemaking.

    Lauren is passionate about using the arts and culture as powerful tools to foster collaboration and raise awareness around critical urban health issues. Based between Barcelona and the US, she brings a global perspective to ISUH’s mission to drive social change by creating engaging, impactful experiences that promote collaboration, awareness, and creative approaches to urban health challenges.

  • Strategic Partnerships Lead

    A creative urban planner, project manager and communication specialist, Ezrah has lived in nearly 10 different cities over the past 10 years. They are passionate about cities, their streets, their cultures and their people. They are enthusiastic about urban design and a fervent believer that public spaces are the backbone of our cities worldwide and should be at the heart of city building and planning today.

    Ezrah has a Masters in International Public Management from Sciences Po Paris with a major in Global Health; they also studied Geography and Urban Studies at the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia. Ezrah has worked for the United Nations; the Council of Europe; the French government; and in several think tanks and NGOs across the world, such as The Young Foundation or Future Cape Town.

    A self-taught chef, Ezrah currently divides their time between their passion for cities and their love of cooking.

  • Strategic Partnerships Lead

    A creative urban planner, project manager and communication specialist, Ezrah has lived in nearly 10 different cities over the past 10 years. They are passionate about cities, their streets, their cultures and their people. They are enthusiastic about urban design and a fervent believer that public spaces are the backbone of our cities worldwide and should be at the heart of city building and planning today.

    Ezrah has a Masters in International Public Management from Sciences Po Paris with a major in Global Health; they also studied Geography and Urban Studies at the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia. Ezrah has worked for the United Nations; the Council of Europe; the French government; and in several think tanks and NGOs across the world, such as The Young Foundation or Future Cape Town.

    A self-taught chef, Ezrah currently divides their time between their passion for cities and their love of cooking.

  • Strategic Partnerships Lead

    A creative urban planner, project manager and communication specialist, Ezrah has lived in nearly 10 different cities over the past 10 years. They are passionate about cities, their streets, their cultures and their people. They are enthusiastic about urban design and a fervent believer that public spaces are the backbone of our cities worldwide and should be at the heart of city building and planning today.

    Ezrah has a Masters in International Public Management from Sciences Po Paris with a major in Global Health; they also studied Geography and Urban Studies at the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia. Ezrah has worked for the United Nations; the Council of Europe; the French government; and in several think tanks and NGOs across the world, such as The Young Foundation or Future Cape Town.

    A self-taught chef, Ezrah currently divides their time between their passion for cities and their love of cooking.

  • Strategic Partnerships Lead

    A creative urban planner, project manager and communication specialist, Ezrah has lived in nearly 10 different cities over the past 10 years. They are passionate about cities, their streets, their cultures and their people. They are enthusiastic about urban design and a fervent believer that public spaces are the backbone of our cities worldwide and should be at the heart of city building and planning today.

    Ezrah has a Masters in International Public Management from Sciences Po Paris with a major in Global Health; they also studied Geography and Urban Studies at the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia. Ezrah has worked for the United Nations; the Council of Europe; the French government; and in several think tanks and NGOs across the world, such as The Young Foundation or Future Cape Town.

    A self-taught chef, Ezrah currently divides their time between their passion for cities and their love of cooking.

  • Healthy Housing & Neighborhoods Research Assistant

    Kanij Fateema is an urban planner, architect, and researcher motivated to advancing transportation equity, fair housing policy, and community-driven economic development. She holds a Master’s in Regional Planning from Cornell University, where her research focused on infrastructure finance, informal economy, and sustainable urban development.

    Kanij has contributed to research and policy analysis on housing disparities, transportation access, and urban mobility through her work with organizations such as WSP-USA, the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities, CNY Fair Housing, and the Redlining Lab. Internationally, she has collaborated with the World Resources Institute (WRI) on road safety and mobility initiatives in Bangladesh and led gender-responsive and community centered site planning for Rohingya refugee camps with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). She also spearheaded a pilot project advocating for safer public buses for women and children in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

    Committed to supporting marginalized communities, Kanij currently serves as an Encampment Response Coordinator for the City of Ithaca, developing equitable, destigmatized, and trauma-informed policy solutions for unsheltered individuals. She recently joined the International Society for Urban Health as a Research Assistant for the International Healthy Housing Innovations Project in and with Communities (I-HIP Co).  Through her work, she remains dedicated to fostering housing justice, social equity, and data-driven urban policies.

  • Project Coordinator,  I-HIP Co (International Healthy Housing Innovations Project in and with Communities)

    Marina Kolovou Kouri is an architect and urban researcher working at the intersection of housing, land, and urban poverty. She has collaborated with practitioners, grassroots organizations, and international partners across South and Southeast Asia, documenting and supporting locally led housing and urban initiatives.

    At the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR), she coordinated regional programs on community-led housing and participatory planning, working with partners and urban poor networks across 11 countries to support collective housing, infrastructure upgrading, climate adaptation, and grassroots advocacy. Prior to this, she managed projects in Myanmar with Women for the World, ranging from co-design initiatives with communities and architecture students to research on displacement and urban inequalities.

    Through research, advocacy, and storytelling, Marina’s work highlights community voices and local knowledge, connecting everyday experiences to broader urban justice and policy discussions. Currently, she coordinates aspects of the International Healthy Housing Innovations Project in and with Communities (I-HIP Co), facilitating exchange between Asia-based partners and curating materials that showcase community-driven innovations.

    She holds MSc degrees in Architecture (Technische Universität Berlin) and Urban Design in Development (University College London).

  • Communications & Community Coordinator

    A Programs & Engagement Specialist and Communications Strategist with over 10 years of experience at the intersection of education, culture, community engagement, and wellbeing, Xavier brings a background in participatory cultural mediation and UX/UI systems design that informs a systems-based approach to engagement. They hold an MA in Arts and Cultural Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising & Marketing, combining strategic communications expertise with interdisciplinary systems thinking.

    Their work focuses on strengthening participation, reducing isolation, and building inclusive infrastructures that support belonging in urban environments. Xavier has collaborated with NGOs, cultural institutions, and international think tanks, including IGCAT, contributing to global programs, research-driven initiatives, conferences, and digital ecosystems that connect policymakers, researchers, and community leaders.

    They are the founder of Artist Ally, a community-based education and publishing initiative supported by the City of Barcelona, focused on strengthening professional networks and sustainable creative livelihoods for immigrant artists and cultural practitioners. Across projects, Xavier advocates for care, inclusion, and equitable access to knowledge, believing that thoughtful communication and well-designed systems are essential to advancing urban health and social wellbeing.

    At ISUH, Xavier brings a commitment to clarity, strategic coordination, and community-centered engagement to help translate research and policy into accessible, meaningful participation.

    Outside of work, they enjoy ​gardening at Barcelona's Botanical Garden, hiking, and arts and wellbeing gatherings that reinforce their belief in collective care and connection to place.

  • Executive Assistant

    A naturally curious and outgoing individual, I thrive on engaging with others and building meaningful connections. With over 10 years of experience across multiple industries, I’ve developed a broad and deep knowledge base. One of my proudest moments was being part of a team that repatriated over 1,000 citizens from around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having been stranded myself during that time, I felt a personal connection to the mission and collaborated with various organizations to ensure everyone made it home safely.

    Since then, I have contributed to many missions, both big and small, providing relief and support wherever I can.

  • Executive Assistant

    A naturally curious and outgoing individual, I thrive on engaging with others and building meaningful connections. With over 10 years of experience across multiple industries, I’ve developed a broad and deep knowledge base. One of my proudest moments was being part of a team that repatriated over 1,000 citizens from around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having been stranded myself during that time, I felt a personal connection to the mission and collaborated with various organizations to ensure everyone made it home safely.

    Since then, I have contributed to many missions, both big and small, providing relief and support wherever I can.

  • Executive Assistant

    A naturally curious and outgoing individual, I thrive on engaging with others and building meaningful connections. With over 10 years of experience across multiple industries, I’ve developed a broad and deep knowledge base. One of my proudest moments was being part of a team that repatriated over 1,000 citizens from around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having been stranded myself during that time, I felt a personal connection to the mission and collaborated with various organizations to ensure everyone made it home safely.

    Since then, I have contributed to many missions, both big and small, providing relief and support wherever I can.

  • Executive Assistant

    A naturally curious and outgoing individual, I thrive on engaging with others and building meaningful connections. With over 10 years of experience across multiple industries, I’ve developed a broad and deep knowledge base. One of my proudest moments was being part of a team that repatriated over 1,000 citizens from around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having been stranded myself during that time, I felt a personal connection to the mission and collaborated with various organizations to ensure everyone made it home safely.

    Since then, I have contributed to many missions, both big and small, providing relief and support wherever I can.

  • Executive Assistant

    A naturally curious and outgoing individual, I thrive on engaging with others and building meaningful connections. With over 10 years of experience across multiple industries, I’ve developed a broad and deep knowledge base. One of my proudest moments was being part of a team that repatriated over 1,000 citizens from around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having been stranded myself during that time, I felt a personal connection to the mission and collaborated with various organizations to ensure everyone made it home safely.

    Since then, I have contributed to many missions, both big and small, providing relief and support wherever I can.

  • Storytelling and Content Development

    Camilla leads story telling and content development telling inspiring stories of human-centered, cost-effective, sustainable development projects around the world that improve health and well-being, decrease environmental damage, and promote equity.

    Camilla is an award-winning director/producer of independent feature documentaries (PBS, Animal Planet, Planet Green), and a content development specialist in public programs, educational coursework, and interactive media for children. (The Jim Henson Company, LEGO, and Scholastic).

    Camilla was previously Program Manager for CGI America (Clinton Foundation) and Head of Programs for Urban Green Council. MA, Documentary Film Production, Stanford University. BA, Literature, Brown University.