Mathias Lalika

Mathias Lalika holds an MD from the Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina in Havana, Cuba, and an MPH in Global Health from the University of Washington. He worked as a Research Assistant during his medical training, conducting original research on cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer. He has also conducted community-based participatory research with an emphasis on digital and mHealth behavioral interventions to promote cardiovascular health and health equity. His research interests include chronic diseases and addressing health disparities.

Mathias worked on ten projects during his two-year engagement at START, acting as the Project Manager for three of them. Below are highlights from three of the projects Mathias worked on:

• Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Modeling Policy in Washington State: The START team documented how evidence from modeling and analytics was used to inform policy in Washington State’s COVID-19 response and identified lessons learned from this experience—which can inform research-policy partnerships, policy decisions, and formation of responsive systems to address public health emergencies in the future.
• Neglected Tropical Diseases and Immunization Integration: The COVID-19 Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) and Immunization Integration Project examined integration between immunization programs and NTD/Malaria mass drug administration, providing recommendations for how the NTD platform could be leveraged to inform the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations in Africa.
• Reaching Zero Dose Communities: START was engaged by the Global Delivery Program Team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to review existing evidence on barriers to vaccinating zero-dose children—commonly defined as those that have not received any routine vaccine—and interventions for finding and reaching them.

When reflecting on his experience with START, Mathias stated, “At START, I have grown as a person, a public health professional, and a leader. I attribute much of that growth to working with incredible RAs, faculty leads, and clients with varied working and leadership styles—bringing not only global health but also business and policy aspects of public health. Also, wearing multiple hats as a Research Assistant, a Project Manager, and a Student Representative allowed me to learn more about my strengths, areas of improvement, core values, and above all, how to leverage them to influence change. If you thrive in a multifaceted and fast-paced environment, consider making START your next home!”

Mathias currently works as a Cardiovascular Health Innovations in Equity Fellow in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic.