EDUCATION

2006-2011        PhD: Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT), Maastricht University & United Nations University, The Netherlands   Thesis: Tuberculosis in India: A Case of Innovation and Control

2006-2007        PhD training programme Innovation Studies and Development, UNU-Merit, NL

1999-2005        Lic. Phil. Communication Sciences, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Erasmus exchange to Free University & Humboldt University, Berlin (2002-2003)

CURRENT AND PREVIOUS POSITIONS

Since 2024       Associate Professor at at Athena Institute, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, NL

Since 2024       Honorary appointment at Menzies School of Health Research, Carles Darwin University, Australia

Since 2021      Founding member of the virtual centre for Social Science & Health Innovation for Tuberculosis (SSHIFTB) https://sshiftb.org

2020-2024       Associate Professor at the Department of Health, Ethics & Society/ Research School CAPHRI, Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Maastricht University, NL

2011-2020        Assistant Professor at the Department of Health, Ethics & Society/ Research School CAPHRI, Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Maastricht University, NL

Since 2019      Consultancy appointments as technical resource person for the World Health Organization guideline development group on TB diagnostics

Since 2018        Associate Member McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Canada

2016-2019        Consultant for FIND (Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics), Geneva

2013                   Visiting researcher at Institute of Public Health, Bangalore, India

2012, 2013        Visiting researcher at University of Cape Town, South Africa

2007- 2009       Visiting researcher at CRISP, Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy, Hyderabad, India

FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS

2015                   VENI award, for  the project “Fighting global infectious diseases locally” from NWO (Dutch Science Foundation)

2007-2010        Doctoral fellowship for PhD project “Innovation dynamics in TB control in India” from UNU-Merit, United Nations University & Maastricht University

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

Since 2025       Program director research master global health, VU Amsterdam, course coordinator Global Health Interventions (research master global health)

2011-2024        I have developed and executed several courses (problem based learning) and been a core team member improving the Global Health Master’s of Science at Maastricht University: Coordinator specialization track Implementing Health Care Innovations; Coordinator, lecturer and tutor for Governing health in a global context, Making innovations work in different contexts; Tutor for Critical policy analysis and project management in Global Health, and for Qualitative research methods, lecturer for various courses and honour programs, as well as the PhD course ‘Critical choices in qualitative research’

Since 2017      Course director of Qualitative methods in infectious disease research, McGill Summer Institute in Infectious Diseases and Global Health, McGill University, Canada

2013                   Lectures and workshops on qualitative research at Institute of Public Health, Bangalore

Since 2012        Faculty at annual Advanced Tuberculosis Diagnostics Research Course and at Global Health Diagnostics Course (2016), McGill Summer Institute in Infectious Diseases and Global Health, McGill University, Canada

 ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS

2023                 Organization of international workshop “Equity and person-centered innovation in the End Tuberculosis policy response: building the agenda to respond to social, structural, ethical and legal aspects of disease”, at Brocher Foundation Geneva, in collaboration with Jeremiah Chikovore (HSRC South Africa) and Amrita Daftary (York University, Canada) 30+ participants including international social science researchers, healthcare providers, TB survivor and community groups, representatives from WHO, Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, International Labour Organization, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics and Stop Tb Partnership

Since 2017        Course director (together with Amrita Daftary) of an annual, weeklong international workshop on Qualitative Methods in Global Infectious Diseases Research at the McGill Summer Institute in Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Canada

2016-2017        Co-organizer of Postgraduate Workshop on Qualitative Data Inquiry & Analysis at the Union World Conference on Lung Health (Liverpool, UK 2016, Guadalajara, Mexico 2017).

2013                   International research workshop and research network launch “Global Health and Science & Technology Studies”, hosted at Maastricht University in collaboration with Salla Sariola & Patricia Kingori, Oxford University, UK

Co-organization of panels at international conferences (EASST, STS conference Graz, Union world conference on lung health)

INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

2011-2024        Faculty member, Department of Health, Ethics & Society, Maastricht University

2017-2024        Academic board member of the multi-faculty Maastricht Centre for Global Health Research and Training, Maastricht University

REVIEWING ACTIVITIES

Editor: since 2021 academic editor for PLOS Global Public Health, 2016-2021, associate editor for International Journal of Tuberculosis & Lung Disease (IJTLD); 2017-2021, academic editor for PLOS ONE

Reviewer for journals and national funding associations: Science as Culture; Science, Technology & Human Values; Critical Public Health; Bulletin of the World Health Organization; PLoS ONE; The Lancet Global Health; Health Policy & Planning; BMJ Global Health; The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease; BMC Public Health, BMC Infectious Diseases; National Research Foundation South Africa; The Wellcome Trust, UK; Economic and Social Research Council, UK

 MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

Since 2007           Society for Social Studies of Science

Since 2007           European Association for the Studies of Science & Technology

Since 2008           Indian Association for Social Sciences & Health

Since 2013           Netherlands Graduate Research School of Science, Technology & Modern Culture