Staff

Dr Roberts started her research career with a PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and thereafter worked as a researcher focused on tropical infectious diseases in Africa, India and South America for more than 15 years. On returning to the UK she joined the UK MRC funding agency, where she was responsible initially for the extensive clinical trials portfolio and then latterly the global health activities of that organisation. It was during this time that she became more aware of the changes in global health burden with increasing rise in chronic non-communicable diseases. She joined the GACD as CEO in October 2019.

Izzy is GACD’s Senior Research Capacity Manager and leads on networking, capacity, and capability strengthening activities across GACD Research Programmes and cross-cutting working groups. Izzy is a UK-registered dietitian with a special interest in global nutrition. Previously, she has worked for the World Cancer Research Fund, with homeless young people at Centrepoint UK, and various clinical roles in the NHS. Izzy has an undergraduate degree in biological sciences from the University of Oxford and postgraduate degrees in nutrition and dietetics from King’s College London.

Margaret is the GACD Senior Impact and Policy Manager and is responsible for enhancing the GACD’s impact and fostering policy engagement. Previously she worked as Health Adviser for the NGO Concern Worldwide, supporting health programmes across Africa and Asia. She has lived in northern Uganda where she worked with the NGO Medair, in close partnership with the Ministry of Health, to set up a Community Health Worker programme. As Study Coordinator at University College London Institute for Global Health she worked with research partners in sub-Saharan Africa on a behaviour change research study. Margaret has an MSc in Public Health (Health Promotion stream) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and an undergraduate degree in Physiological Sciences from the University of Oxford. She is passionate about improving health of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Sheree is the GACD Administration and Events Officer and provides administrative support across GACD, ensuring the organisation operates effectively and to the highest standard. She also helps to deliver various GACD events including the Annual Scientific Meeting. She has two degrees; a BA in Latin American Studies from the University of Portsmouth and she recently gained a First-class honours in Human Nutrition from the London Metropolitan University. She has many years of experience working in the public and charity sectors providing business, HR and board and committee support and she has also lived and worked in Mexico, El Salvador and Belize. She is passionate about the relationship between diet and chronic disease and feels honoured to be given the opportunity to play a role in the global effort to improve the health of the most vulnerable.

Faye is the GACD Senior Operations and Governance Manager and provides governance support and meeting coordination for the Board of Trustees, Strategy Board and Executive Committee, whilst also leading on the logistical, operational and HR aspects of all GACD activities. After gaining previous experience in project management and marketing, including a placement in China, she has previously worked for University College London coordinating the administrative, communications, HR and finance functions of the Institute for Global Health as Departmental Administrator. Faye has a first class degree in English Language and Linguistics from the University of Reading and has worked with GACD since 2015.

Jane is a Programme Manager coordinating the joint activities of the GACD Associate Members, including research call development and international peer review. She previously worked at the UK Medical Research Council (MRC), supporting the UK Prevention Research Partnership, a 12-funder initiative focused on NCD prevention. Also, she worked on research programmes in multiple long-term conditions, population health sciences, and research careers at MRC, including co-developing strategic calls and supporting cross-sector partnerships. Her roles included monitoring and evaluation of research investment portfolios, and facilitating engagement and knowledge sharing between researchers, funders, and public stakeholders. Jane holds a PhD in Microbiology and has a background in drug development from discovery to early clinical phases, with experience across academia and industry in oncology, ageing, and immunology.

Ekow Tachie-Mensah is the GACD Communications Officer where he supports in the delivery of the GACD communications strategy and the day-to-day communications needs of the GACD team. He previously worked as a Communications Assistant for UK-based charity Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA), supporting in promoting the charity’s programmes in Africa. He has also provided communications support for various organizations including the United Nations Population Fund and the International Organization for Migration (European Union Election Observation Mission) in Ghana.

Ekow holds an MSc in Media, Communication and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and holds a First-Class Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies from Central University in Ghana.