DrSamira Barbara Jabakhanji

Samira’s main fields of expertise are childhood obesity, global diabetes research, health equity, planetary health and sustainable healthcare. Additionally, Samira has conducted research in the areas of cross-border emergency care, quality improvement in healthcare, chronic care delivery in low- and middle-income countries, health education, and cost analysis of healthcare interventions. While working in health economic research, Samira has co-founded and is now chairing the Obesity Cobweb network (COllaBoration in health economic modelling of overWEight and oBesity), which has received RCSI-internal and Enterprise Ireland seed funding to grow the network.

In Converge, Samira’s research covers various aspects of evidence synthesis and data management related to diabetes and obesity, including work with the Pan-American Health Organization and World Bank, and the development of frameworks for global diabetes monitoring with the World Health Organization. Currently, Samira is coordinating the development of a prioritisation approach for national clinical audit selection with Health Service Executive and Department of Health representatives.

In relation to climate and health research, Samira has been involved in the ENBEL project (Enhancing Belmont Research Action to support EU policy making on climate change and health), SOPHEA project (Strengthening One Health and Planetary Health in Eastern Africa) and various projects on sustainable eating and heat and health at Heidelberg University.

Additionally, she is co-founder of the RCSI Health Equity Research Alliance (HERA) and collaborator on a Health Education Authority-funded project on Embedding Gender and Intersectionality in Academic Health Research. 

Samira's research to date employs a mix of methodologies, ranging from qualitative data collection and analysis to statistics (inclunding multilevel modelling), evidence synthesis projects, framework development (e.g., through Delphi studies), health economic studies and implementation research.