WHOCC Core Team
Professor Salman Rawaf
Prof Salman is the Professor of Public Health Medicine, Director of WHO Collaborating Centre at the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, and Honorary Consultant Physician in the NHS. His medical trainings are in paediatrics and public health medicine. He spent the breadth of his career leading roles in the British NHS; including 26 years as an Executive Director: County Medical Adviser, Medical Director, and Director of Public Health. In the latter 23 years of his service in the NHS, he served as the Executive Director of Health in South-West London with full responsibility for the population health and services in and outside the NHS, from which he then moved to Imperial College as Professor of Public Health, and the Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training, which supports several World Health Organization’s Regions and their Member States. He is a dedicated author, lecturer, supervisor, and researcher across different medical disciplines with an average contribution to 8 conferences a year. He is also the President of the International Association of Medical Colleges (IAOMC) and the Arab Public Health Association (ArPHA).
Celine Tabche
Celine is a teaching fellow at the School of Public Health at Imperial. She holds a degree in Biology from the American University of Beirut and a Master's degree in Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition from the University College London. She is a certified Associate Nutritionist, a Fellow of Higher Education in the UK (FHEA), a member of the Royal Society for Public Health, and a CPD Associate Faculty of Public Health member. Celine is the Co-Director and working on a range of Public Health projects and designed multiple trainings with the WHOCC, ArPHA, and IAOMC team. Her key areas of contribution include supporting the development of a WHO competency framework for the global health and emergency workforce. She also assisted in the establishment of a public health academy in KSA and also played a critical role in leading the Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) training at the Ministry of Health in KSA. She secured a grant from the British Council to help develop Disability Education in Pakistan. She also leads multiple research projects and supervises an average of 8 student projects a year at Imperial spanning across different public health disciplines and topics.
Ela Augustyniak
Ela Augustyniak is an experienced educational project manager with extensive expertise in coordinating global public health programmes and educational initiatives. She has a strong background in managing complex, cross-border projects, ensuring the timely delivery of outcomes while maintaining quality standards. Ela has worked closely with academic and governmental organisations to foster international collaborations, enhance capacity building, and promote equitable access to education and health services. Her organisational and coordination skills, strategic planning abilities, and dedication to global health make her an integral member of the project team. Ela is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics. She has worked on the development and design of the Health Systems Development module for the online Master in Public Health at Imperial College London.
Dr David Rawaf
David Laith Rawaf is a surgeon, researcher, technologist, innovator and policy developer. Having studied and worked in both UK and the US, David has active academic & honorary roles for Imperial College, World Health Organisation, the Institute for Health Metrics & Evaluation, Royal College of Surgeons England, Association for Surgical Education, and The Society for Simulation in Healthcare, amongst many others. With medical and clinical director roles in healthtech, he holds dynamic responsibilities spanning academic research, accreditation, thought leadership, product development and validation, marketing and business strategy. David also holds multiple director roles on both philanthropic and venture capital advisory boards in addition to co-founder, clinical advisory & chair roles for various healthtech & medtech startups.
Dr Mays Raheem
Mays is a teaching fellow at the WHOCC for Public Health Education and Training. She has completed her education training through the postgraduate certification at Imperial. With a strong focus on capacity building and education, she designs and delivers leadership and governance training for health professionals. Mays has a passion for promoting equity and inclusion in education and is skilled at translating global health frameworks into contextually relevant learning materials. Her commitment to fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration makes her a valuable asset to the project team.
Rachel Barker
Rachel is a Healthcare Administration Specialist with over a decade spent working in both the NHS and Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand. She has 25 years of administrative experience in a career encompassing roles such as PA, Project Secretary, Team Administrator, and Medical Secretary. After obtaining a first-class pass in a Diploma in Sociology while shielding during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rachel was recruited to her current position at the WHOCC. Her academic journey has deepened her insights into the social and commercial determinants of health, which along with her lived experience of disability has reinforced her commitment to patient advocacy and patient-centred healthcare models. Her dedication to effective communication and further education is ongoing, demonstrated by her current pursuit of a BA in Sociology alongside learning French.
WHOCC Collaborators
Prof Zeenah Atwan
An academic and researcher in Microbiology, currently serving as a Professor of Virology at the University of Basrah, Iraq holding a PhD from Warwick University and extensive expertise in virology, gene expression, and infectious diseases. Currently leading projects re- rheumatoid arthritis post-SARS-CoV-2, CCHF, and GLP-1 agonists. I supervised numerous PhD and master students, published in high-impact journals, and contributed to global health concerning issues such as participating in training rapid response teams. My work includes molecular virology, public health, and medical education, all these aspects can contribute in advancing biomedical research and healthcare in Iraq and internationally.
Prof Alessandra Scagliarini
Professor Alessandra Scagliarini graduated in Veterinary Medicine and obtained a PhD in Epidemiology and Control of Zoonotic Diseases. She is Full Professor at the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (School of Medicina) where she is in charge of several One Health undergraduate and post graduate programs. Her scientific interests focus on the inter- and transdisciplinary approach of One Health in research, particularly in exploring the interactions between humans, animals, and ecosystems that can trigger health emergencies.
Prof Zacharoula Sidiropoulou
Senior Consultant, Certified Breast Surgical Oncologist, currently Head of the Breast Unit at Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental. Invited Professor at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa Medical School and the University of Barcelona, where she contributes to the Senology Master Program. PhD in Medicine/Breast Cancer from the University of Barcelona and a Master's in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery from the Instituto de Investigación Biomedica da Corunha. Currently I am a Public Health Masters program student.
Dr Sunil Kumar
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.Dr. Sunil Kumar is a Specialist Anaesthesiologist, Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Author, Master Health Coach, and International Speaker with over 30 years of medical experience, including a dedicated focus on lifestyle medicine and integrative healthcare. He serves as a Council Member of the Royal Society of Medicine (Food & Health Forum) and is a key faculty member at NHS England for Health & Wellbeing Workshops. Dr. Kumar is also on the faculty for the International Master’s in Lifestyle Medicine at the University of Thessaly, Greece, and contributes to Lifestyle Medicine Certification at the European Lifestyle Medicine Organization (ELMO).
Dr Basil Assoufi
Dr Basil Assoufi is an accredited specialist consultant in occupational medicine. He holds substantive lead consultant jobs in two major NHS foundation trusts. He has extensive experience in the field ranging through NHS teaching hospitals, and a number of private and public sectors. He has also held academic appointments and has a PhD in the field. He was awarded the Fellowship of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine and the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
Prof Ahmad Mandil
Professor of Epidemiology and Supervisor, Community Medicine Unit, College of Medicine, King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (seconded from the High Institute of Public Health, University of Alexandria, Egypt). He received his bachelor degree in medicine and surgery degree (1981) and master’s degree in Pediatrics (1985) from Alexandria University, Egypt. He currently serves as KSU-MPH Council Coordinator; board member/peer reviewer of scientific journals including WHO Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal (EMHJ), Journal of Epidemiology & Global Health (JEGH), Journal of Family & Community Medicine (JFCM).
Dr Austen El-Osta
Director of the Self-Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU) at Imperial College London, Director & Trustee of the International Self-Care Foundation & Trustee of the Self-Care Forum. He is a fellow of WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education & Training, the primary care theme lead for NIHR Diagnostic Evidence Co-operative London & General Manager of the Directorate of Public Health at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Dr Hani Fares
Public Health Specialist | Mental Health & Addiction Expert | Migration Health Advocate Hani Fares is a seasoned public health professional with over two decades of experience in global health, emergency response, health system strengthening, and capacity building. Currently serving as the Division Director of Mental Health & Addictions at the Foundation ARHM in Lyon, France, Hani leads initiatives aimed at addressing mental health challenges and addiction disorders, with a focus on policy development, program management, and advocacy.
Ms Holly Exton-Smith
Holly is a Master’s in Public Health student at Imperial College London. Her interests focus on non-communicable diseases, particularly cancer, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, and the influence of social and environmental factors on these conditions. She is passionate about evidence-based policy and user-centred design. Prior to her Master’s, she gained professional experience in social and market research within the healthcare industry. She holds an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from UCL.
Dr Harumi Quezada Yamamoto
Medical doctor with a cross-cultural perspective on public health. She has experience in clinical medicine, qualitative and quantitative research, as well as managerial roles. Areas of expertise include: sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health, health systems research, gender perspective in health services, community outreach, in addition to medical and health education. She has collaborated in diverse projects both in global public health research and field work, in alliance with social enterprises and global organisations such as WHO, UNFPA and the MENA Health Policy Forum.
Dr. David Huang
Clinical Innovation Director at MANUAL and Angel Investor. Graduated from St George's Hospital Medical School and worked in the NHS for 6 years.
Dr Attila Hertelendy
Dr. Hertelendy is the Director of Innovation and Technology, Director of Research and a faculty member at BIDMC, Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hertelendy is also an assistant professor in the College of Business, Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics and has a secondary appointment at the Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University in Miami. Dr. Hertelendy teaches healthcare reimbursement/ health policy and management and leadership in the Healthcare MBA program.
WHOCC Interns 2025
Ishani Sharma
Ishani is a final year medical student at Imperial College London with an intercalated BSc in Global Health. She has been involved in project work and activism with Students for Global Health UK, chairing the Imperial branch during her 5th year, and Médecins Sans Frontières, on a range of prevalent global issues including antimicrobial resistance, refugee and migrant health, and health education in schools. She has been mentored through research and internships, including with Critical Care International, and the HIV research team since her intercalated year, improving her understanding and approach to global health problem solving and innovation. These have supported her in exploring the fields of public and global health, and in academia including publishing research papers and presenting at international conferences. She was thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from the experience of the WHOCC team during her 2-year internship.
Rishi Miryala
Mona Kuroiwa
Emmanuel Urama