Fatima Al-Shimari

Fatima Al-Shimari holds a MPH from the University of Washington Department of Global Health, and a BS in Biology and BA in Chemistry, also from the University of Washington. During her undergraduate studies, she led various projects in collaboration with the University of Washington and the Seattle Children's Hospital. After completing her undergraduate studies, she worked as a researcher with the World Health Organization and other local and international NGOs and a few med-tech start-up companies abroad. She also helped plan and facilitate multiple international maternal and child health conferences, including the 2018 AMCHP Conference and the 2019 SAHM conference. Her research interests include maternal and child health, infectious diseases, social determinants of health, and Global Fund projects.

Fatima worked on six projects during her two-year engagement at START, acting as the Project Manager for four of them. Below are highlights from three of the projects Fatima worked on:

• Overcoming Barriers to Post-Natal Care and Small Sick Newborn Care-Taking: The START team described gaps on the literature and practice associated with demand-side interventions to increase rates of care-seeking and healthy home behaviors related to post-natal care (PNC), with a particular emphasis on the well-being of small and sick newborns (SSN).
• Mapping the Long-Term Sequelae of Acute Shigella Infection in Young Children: The team conducted a systematic review of the long-term sequelae of acute Shigella infection in children under 5 years of age to inform data collection for the Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella surveillance study and support the value proposition for Shigella vaccines.
• Alternatives to the Human Landing Catch: The team conducted key informant interviews, and a synthesis of two recent literature reviews, to summarize the global and regional perspectives on the need for a replacement to the human landing catch, in order to aid future funding decisions.

Reflecting on her time with START, Fatima said, “working at the START Center gave me the opportunity to conduct research for clients who are major influencers in the global health landscape, including teams from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, PATH, and IHME. I got to hone my research and data analysis skills and acquire new skills through the diverse range of projects I worked on. Being a project manager allowed me to work with fellow researchers, learn from faculty leaders across multiple departments, and receive tremendous support from our phenomenal Operations Team! In addition to professionally growing, my research experience at the START Center allowed me to grow personally and academically. Serving as Student Representative at START was one of my favorite parts of the job. I had the opportunity to build relationships with fellow researchers and represent their interests in strategic planning meetings with START leadership. Working with the START Center has been the highlight of my graduate school experience! I strongly recommend it to any graduate student interested in refining their research skills and gaining confidence in their leadership and management roles!”

Fatima currently works as Epidemiologist at the Seattle Indian Health Board.