Uniting Streams

At the KIT, Nima focuses on operational research and strengthening health systems in vulnerable and conflict-affected areas, such as Afghanistan and South Sudan. He plays a key role in developing and expanding KIT’s institutional capacity for research into the impacts of disasters and preparedness for climate-related and humanitarian crises. Nima contributes to the institute’s mission to support evidence-based decision-making in public health.

Nima joined Uniting Streams to meet other researchers in global health and share experiences.

His main areas of interest lie in health policy and systems research, social sciences and mixed methodologies in global health, and global health policy.

Harry joined Uniting Streams to discuss global health action and research with others working in the field.

Her work draws on insights from philosophy, anthropology and global health, and is rooted in a transdisciplinary approach that values multiple ways of knowing and being. With a BSc in Neuroscience and an MSc in International Public Health, she combines academic and consultancy experience in Dutch, international and global health contexts. Her main interests are Planetary Health, epistemic justice and how people perceive and interact with the world around them.

Renée has joined Uniting Streams to create and share knowledge with other enthusiasts in the field of global health.

Her passion for global health centres on strengthening health systems, with a particular focus on the health of migrants and improving equitable access to primary care.

With experience in both resource-poor and resource-rich settings, she draws on her multidisciplinary expertise in global health, health systems and community-based care to bring about meaningful change. She is also actively involved in the EFPC’s Health Migrant working group and joined Uniting Streams to collaborate with like-minded professionals in global health.

She now lives in the Netherlands and brings with her a strong combination of academic expertise, strategic leadership and a deep commitment to inclusive, person-centred primary care. Tess holds a PhD in Disability Studies from the University of Cape Town, where she is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow. Her research focuses on improving the continuity of care for people with disabilities living with non-communicable diseases. She also holds a Master’s degree in Evidence-Based Healthcare and an Honours degree in Speech and Language Therapy.

She currently works as a consultant for the World Health Organisation (WHO), where she coordinates the portfolio on lived experience of cancer and supports the implementation of the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines. Prior to that, she was Programme Manager and Acting Director at the Health Systems Trust, where she oversaw a wide range of research into health systems.

Tess specialises in qualitative and mixed-methods research, health policy analysis, project management and translating research findings into practice. Driven by values such as respect, inclusion and integrity, Tess joined Uniting Streams to contribute to transformative, inclusive health development that empowers the world’s most vulnerable groups.

He later went to the University of Pennsylvania to conduct research into HIV cure strategies. His PhD research at Utrecht University currently focuses on the molecular epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Outside the academic world, Soe Yu Naing collaborates with ISGLOBAL and the One Health Trust, and advises the WHO on AMR policy. He is also a visiting lecturer at Parami University in Myanmar and holds leadership roles at the Erasmus Mundus Association and the Digital Transformation for Health Lab, where he advocates for digital health citizenship, citizen science and data equity for pandemic preparedness. In his spare time, he writes Burmese short stories and podcast scripts on sexual and reproductive health to encourage open discussions in Myanmar.

Soe Yu joined Uniting Streams to share tips and strategies on career development and networking for professionals in the global health sector.

His professional experience includes monitoring and evaluation, programme coordination and mixed-methods research at academic institutions and NGOs. At Aidsfonds, he supported the Love Alliance consortium, which advocated for SRHR and HIV rights for marginalised communities in 10 African countries, with a focus on monitoring and evaluation, theory of change and collaboration with stakeholders. As a research assistant and intern at VU University Amsterdam and Utrecht University, he contributed to projects on undocumented migrants’ access to healthcare, communal kitchens as inclusive health spaces, and the environmental dimensions of healthcare assessment.

Andrej joined Uniting Streams to amplify the voices of young professionals in global healthcare and to connect, exchange ideas and collaborate with like-minded professionals. His interests lie in healthcare systems, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and nutrition, with a particular focus on ensuring equity and inclusivity in both research and practice.

Her work encompasses operational and implementation research, evidence synthesis, strategic policy advocacy and technical support for national health ministries. She brings extensive experience in tuberculosis research and programme implementation, alongside a broader portfolio of work focusing on vulnerable population groups and the social determinants of health.

Karuna’s scientific foundation lies in her PhD research, which focused on identifying immunological biomarkers for early nerve damage in type 1 leprosy reactions, with a particular emphasis on cytokine pathways. This work has shaped her ability to link laboratory science to real-world health challenges. After completing her PhD, she moved into public health research, where she has since combined rigorous evidence with policy translation and programme-based decision-making. Her approach is based on a biosocial perspective, in which communities, context and social determinants are central to the development and evaluation of interventions. She is an expert in quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, adapted to generate evidence in public health and influence policy. She is increasingly involved in planetary health, with a focus on how climate change affects health systems, disease patterns and vulnerable population groups. Karuna is also a strategic and enthusiastic grant applicant, skilled at identifying and shaping opportunities that support impactful research and implementation. Her strengths include generating ideas, building partnerships, developing proposals, conducting fieldwork across multiple countries and translating evidence into concrete policy recommendations. In her work, Karuna is driven by a commitment to strengthening systems and enabling well-considered, evidence-based interventions that improve lives — both for communities and for the people who serve them. Her expertise and values align closely with Uniting Streams’ mission to promote global health equity through collaboration, innovation and knowledge-sharing.