About Me

I was born in the beautiful valley of Gojal, Hunza, but raised in the city of Gilgit, where I also completed my early education. From a young age, I maintained a record of outstanding academic performance, consistently ranking first in my class and receiving numerous awards, medals, and honors at both regional and national levels. One of the proudest moments of my early academic career came in 1989, when I secured third place in a national essay writing competition organized by the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, earning a prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award.

I completed my FSc (equivalent to high school) in 1993 with distinction, earning an academic gold medal which facilitated my admission into one of Pakistan’s top medical institutions—Rawalpindi Medical College. I graduated as a medical doctor in 1999.

Following my residency, I joined the Centre for Health Intervention and Research (CHIR), a research project of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, based in Gilgit-Baltistan. This experience marked a pivotal shift in my professional journey, as it exposed me to the profound impact of public health and deepened my commitment to global health and research.

In 2002, I was honored to receive the highly competitive Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship, which enabled me to pursue postgraduate studies in Public Health at the prestigious London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). During this time, I also had the unique opportunity to take specialized courses at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Studying at these two globally renowned institutions was a transformative experience—one that I consider a rare and invaluable privilege in my academic and professional journey. I completed my Master of Public Health (MPH) in 2003.

Driven by a deep passion to serve underprivileged populations, I began working with the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK before relocating to Afghanistan in 2004 to join the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). Over the next 11 years, I worked with various AKDN agencies—including FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance and Aga Khan Health Services—as well as other international humanitarian organizations across Afghanistan and Tajikistan. These years were instrumental in developing my expertise in global health, allowing me to lead diverse health and nutrition programs in emergency, early recovery, and development contexts.

In 2019, I led a major health and nutrition program for an international humanitarian organization in Borno, Nigeria, and in 2020, I extended my efforts to support critical health crises in Syria and Iraq. In 2022, I undertook a mission to Ukraine to support the humanitarian crisis response following the Russian invasion—an experience that stands out as one of the most complex, high-stakes, and professionally defining challenges of my career.

Throughout my professional journey, I have conducted multiple research studies and have authored and co-authored numerous publications. I regularly contribute op-eds and insightful articles on health issues affecting developing countries, with my work published in American, Pakistani, and Danish newspapers. My core research interests include maternal and child health, health system strengthening, nutrition, public health emergencies, water and sanitation, trauma care, injury prevention, and cross-border health initiatives.

Outside of work, I am an avid blogger, often writing about my professional experiences and global health issues. I am currently working on a book focused on health care emergency response and management in post-conflict settings, drawing upon my hands-on experience across more than 12 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and North America.