Nasreen Jessani

Nasreen Jessani

Dr Nasreen Jessani is Head of IDS’s Knowledge, Impact and Policy Cluster (KIP). She spearheads a research portfolio that explores innovations in the evidence ecosystem, including the relational, social and political dimensions of evidence use and impact for global development. Her primary research and practice sits at the nexus of health policy and systems research; innovations in evidence-informed policy and practice; and the relationship between academia and public policy. 

Nasreen has served on WHOs Knowledge Translation and Policy Group, INASP UK, AcademyHealth USA, and as Vice-Chair of the Evidence to Action TWG for Health Systems Global. She is on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association for Global Health, Canada, and serves on WHO EVIPNet’s Global Steering Group, and the Forum for Health Professions Education at the National Academies of Sciences, USA. She is also on the Steering Committee for World Evidence Based Health Care day and Associate Editor of Health Research Policy and Systems Journal. 

Nasreen was previously the Head of Strategy for the Africa Evidence Network and a Program Officer at Canada’s IDRC. While faculty at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, she was responsible for capacity strengthening in evidence-informed decision-making and knowledge translation to strengthen health systems. Additionally, she is an Associate at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Consultant to WHO. 

Nasreen holds a DrPH (Johns Hopkins University), MSPH (UNC-Chapel Hill), BSc (McGill University) 

"Elements of the Evidence Ecosystem are enigmatic, dynamic, and powerful. We need to understand how this interconnected system can be harnessed in order to facilitate positive change in the well being of our people and our planet."