Start Center - Strategic Analysis, Research & Training Center

Fatima Al-Shimari

MPH
Epidemiologist Seattle Indian Health Board

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.

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