2019 Lead Fellows

Stela Bivol

MD, MPH

“Being one of the four inaugural fellows was a privilege and a transformative experience. I come back home with refreshed views and new ideas. I learned about leadership and new trends in global health, I honed some new strategic planning, communication, negotiation and adaptive leadership skills, learned more about design thinking for public health innovations. It was an opportunity to expand the network and put the foundation to a few promising collaborations. I look forward to applying it in our work in the country and the region as part of the 18-month growth plan following the residence phase. We are also starting a mentorship program so I am excited to support women in global health to advance in their careers.”

– Stela Bivol

A public health enthusiast, Stela’s passion lies in taking public health innovations towards qualitative changes in health systems that ultimately impact people’s lives. Stela has over two decades of progressive career towards senior roles that combines leadership, management, technical and policy work at global, regional and national levels. During her LEAD Fellowship Stela focused on public leadership, strategic communication, negotiation and adaptive leadership skills and design thinking for public health innovation. The new skill set came in timely to lead her team through COVID-related disruption and adaptive leadership challenges in real time. After the LEAD Fellowship, Stela Bivol joined WHO Regional Office for Europe as a Strategic Advisor Infectious Disease to support development of regional policies and efforts to ending tuberculosis, AIDS and the epidemics of viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections by 2030. In her previous role as director of the Center for Health Policy and Studies, Stela led a region-wide initiative to improve the TB response through a multi-partner effort among 30 regional and national contributors. Via a groundbreaking grant from the Global Fund she introduced novel technological solutions, accelerated health reforms and improved engagement of communities and civil society in TB prevention and care in 11 countries. In parallel, she served on the Technical Review Panel of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. As an HIV Focal Point and Vice Chair, she co-led a 100-member body to review 14-billion USD worth funding requests from 110 countries.

Maureen Luba

B.S.

“I came to Harvard to hone my professional and leadership skills but in the end I got so much more than that. Spending fourth months at Harvard immersed in a rigorous program gave me the opportunity to network and draw from experiences from many of the greatest global health leaders and advocates. As a LEAD fellow I was able to engage in courses from any Harvard school. The flexibility and customization of this experience allowed me to strengthen the particular skills that define my career as a global health leader.”

– Maureen Luba

Maureen Luba is a Malawian Global Health Advocate currently serving as a Senior Program Manager at the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC). She works across different organizations, geographies and fault lines to build strong civil society coalitions. Her goal is to enhance civil society participation in provincial, national, regional and global decision-making processes. She aims to inform health-system-strengthening programs, policies and funding with locally-derived agendas. Maureen is a passionate and staunch advocate for women’s health with more than 13 years of experience working on HIV, TB and SHRS advocacy. She serves on a number of national, regional and global platforms where she continues to advocate and fight for access to quality health services for underprivileged communities. These platforms include her service as a Board member for International partnership for Microbicides, an Advisory group member of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, and her recent invitation to join the HIV Vaccine Enterprise Partnership Group. The HIV Vaccine Enterprise Partnership Group unites private sector partners, communities, academic researchers and funding bodies to support collaboration in HIV Research and Development. She is currently studying for a Masters Degree in Global Health Delivery at Harvard Medical School.

Shabnum Sarfraz

MBBS, MBA

Dr. Shabnum Sarfraz is an internationally recognized senior development professional with 15+ years of leadership experience in NGOs, policy think tanks, and government offices. She prioritizes large-scale high-impact reforms and boasts of project portfolios with a cumulative value of over $1.2 Billion. She sits in the Federal Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan, headed by the Prime Minister where she manages a broad range of legislative, policy and structural reforms. She is currently heading the complete cluster of Social Development Portfolio in Pakistan and is responsible for the overall financial control and oversight of the cluster’s delivery and performance. Dr. Sarfraz is also heading the National COVID-19 Secretariat, a conduit between the UN and the government. This organization was instrumental in mobilizing funds to build back better post-COVID-19. Despite the economic contraction, she managed to secure 410 percent higher allocation for the health sector in Pakistan and is now steering the upgradation of 152 health facilities for a more resilient and responsive health infrastructure in the country. Dr. Sarfraz steered the development of the recently launched national gender policy framework for Pakistan. She also founded the Women in Global Health chapter in Asia, bringing together 900+ women leaders for advancing gender transformative leadership and was able to secure 1000 scholarships for Pakistani nurses in the International Year of Nurses and Midwives (2020). Dr. Sarfraz holds an MBA from Surrey University UK; a bachelor’s in medicine from Pakistan; and post-graduate certifications from Harvard University, McGill University, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Sarfraz recently won the 2021 Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Awards as conferred by the University of Surrey, UK in recognition of extraordinary professional achievements. Earlier in 2014, she received the USAID Maternal and Child Health Program Partner of the Quarter Award for outstanding performance, attention to detail, team spirit, and commitment to excellence.

Sai Subhasree Raghavan

PhD

“The Harvard Global Health Lead Fellowship is once in a lifetime opportunity which helped me to reflect, rejuvenate and refuel my mind and body, both of which were fatigued from 20 years of continuous and intensive public health program implementation. The world-renown professors of strategy, leadership, communication, and innovation at Harvard University, opened their classrooms for us, not only to learn but also to contribute to the learning. The case study-based class discussions that were drawn from the experiences of leaders and organizations across the world, made us aware of the need for strengthening the unconscious mind by consciously reducing the biases and transforming self, communities, and countries for building one equal and just world we all aspire. The executive education program on climate change made me realize the urgency of action in my country and the program on culture of innovation and leadership transformed me into another world of discovery, inspiring me to want to become an innovation coach for the young public health professionals. The fellowship acquired special status, when we met the benefactor of the fellowship, powerful yet gentle woman leader from China, who reminded me of the importance of continuing the giving circle by nurturing young women leaders who can transform the Asia Pacific Region. Sharing four months with three other extra-ordinary, ambitious and courageous women from Pakistan, Moldova and Malwai taught me, that we often forget the wonders lie outside our conscious purview, if only we allow our minds to peer into and believe the strength of others.”

– Sai Subhasree Raghavan

Sai Subhasree Raghavan is the founding president of SAATHII (Solidarity and Action Against the HIV Infection in India), a non-profit working towards universal access to healthcare, justice, and social welfare for marginalized communities across 36 states in India. Under her stewardship SAATHII implements HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs as well as initiatives on maternal and infant mortality. At Harvard, Raghavan researched how to expand on SAATHI’s lessons learned and develop a strategic plan that will design new interventions, such as cervical cancer screening and treatment.