Affan Shaikh, MPH, MBA (c)
Epidemiology and Health Systems Consultant, Public Health pROFESSIONAL
Affan Shaikh is a public health professional with interests in health and technology, disease prevention, and treatment. With over seven years of professional experience, Mr. Shaikh’s work engages multilateral stakeholders including inter- and intra- governmental organizations, academic intuitions, NGOs, and communities in building local public health capacities, improving health outcomes and increasing access. He has worked on the ground across 22 different countries, and during the peak of the MERS-CoV outbreak in Saudi Arabia and following the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. Mr. Shaikh is driven to strengthen health systems using evidence-based research and create valuable products, experiences, and processes at the intersection of health and innovative technologies.
Mr. Shaikh has had numerous teaching engagements with Emory University, the University of Michigan, and Columbia University, where he has taught courses on public health surveillance, oral communication, and scientific writing. His book, “Transforming Public Health Surveillance,” explores how the world can be better prepared for the next pandemic through disruptive innovation and public health systems strengthening. He has also published in “Biosecurity: Understanding, Assessing, and Preventing the Threat,” in addition to several high impact peer-reviewed publications. He serves as a Visiting Scientist for the National Academy of Sciences and as an International Board Member to the Saudi Arabia Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mr. Shaikh is currently pursuing an MBA at Yale School of Management, where he is pursuing interests in digital health, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Key Professional Experiences
INTELLIGENT EPI, INC
Founder, Executive Officer (Current)
Organized freelance work under S-corp. Provided consulting expertise around digital health and instructional design. Developed and helped win $7.5M post-Ebola leadership and management training project in Sierra Leone. Calculated ROI and budget impact analysis for Jordanian Red Crescent project portfolio. Developed use case and product strategy for wearable disease surveillance technology. Explored public health surveillance uses of block chain and machine learning. Supported US CDC ASTDR in setting research agenda around the manmade chemical pollutant, PFAS. Led design and development of the African CDC Institute for Workforce Development, guiding its strategic mission to end brain drain and launching the inaugural course. Leading AMR, AMU, and AMC mapping efforts to capture data on antimicrobial resistance patterns and trends in Papa New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and Pakistan as a part of the CAPTURA Consortium. Developed a business use case for a telemedicine chronic liver disease intervention in Saudi Arabia.
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Visiting Scientist (Current)
Supported efforts to build bi-lateral bridges through STEM fields. Served as digital health expert. Presented on health innovation, block chain, and machine learning. Facilitated discussion of digital health applications. Provided subject matter expertise for the development of two chapters in a clinical laboratory handbook aimed at improving Pakistan laboratories. Represented the U.S. and the National Academy of Sciences in meetings with senior US and Pakistan officials. Mentored young Pakistani scientists.
PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE, LLC
Senior Technical Consultant (Current)
Led project teaming, proposal writing, and technical work with multiple academic, government, and private partners and stakeholders. Expanded project portfolio to South Asia. Consult on project basis. Managed needs assessment, workflow optimization, and strategic roadmap execution in Swaziland. Developed logic models. Conducted new SOP trainings. Brokered neurosurgery medical equipment sale. Engaged internal and external stakeholders. Developed $10M budget impact analysis for health education start-up strategic plan. Developed WHO Emergency Operations Centre Framework based on relevant reviewed literature.
Recent Projects
AFRICA CDC COVID-19 CLINICAL COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
Intelligent Epi, Inc
Co-principal Investigator (March 2020 – March 2021)
Led the development of the clinical community of practice for COVID-19 to support knowledge dissemination amidst the pandemic; devised three prong approach that incorporated synchronous trainings, asynchronous knowledge database, and ongoing social media engagement. Conducted rigorous monitoring and evaluation program across 7 key databases; designed survey tools and analysis dashboards; provided COVID-19 insights to 10,840 clinicians over 44 webinars including 37 French-based trainings across 52 countries in Africa and 108 countries across the globe. Recruited 83 expert panelists including 35 female experts; developed 61 newsletters and summary reports totaling 227,485 emails to listserv of 5,958; facilitated WhatsApp and Telegram groups with 1,360 participants; hosted knowledge management platform with curated COVID-19 insights for 1,025 participants across Africa; leveraged metric-driven dashboard for decision-making to achieve monthly 26% targeted growth rate.
CAPTURING DATA ON AMR PATTERNS AND TRENDS IN USE IN ASIA
Public Health Surveillance Group
Health Specialist and Epidemiologist (July 2019 – Present)
Working with local governments of Papa New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and Pakistan to identify and subsequently assess the quality of available data on AMR and AMU. Relevant data will be collated and analyzed to provide meta-data and give regional and inter-regional context. The project will also help identify gaps in data and areas for quality improvement that can be addressed in future initiatives to strengthen surveillance capacity. The information resource generated by the project will improve awareness, advocacy, policy, and interventions needed to combat AMR and antimicrobial misuse.
AFRICA CDC TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE
Intelligent Epi, Inc
Lead Instructional Designer (January 2019 – Present)
Supporting the establishment of the Africa CDC Institute for Workforce Development, developed content for training courses focused on public health surveillance in novel digital based format catering to a initial cohort of 100 African health professionals; fostered engagement levels great than 85% throughout the first course; identified key strategic needs with the Africa CDC and conducted a SWOT analysis for the Institute of Workforce Development; assessed current and future training capacity of Africa CDC and National Public Health Institutes; Led instructional design team in developing standardization and efficient roll-out of future training courses; developed marketing strategy for the Institute; Supported project management activities and introduced novel management methods.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT MODELLING OF COMMUNITY ASTHMA PROGRAMS
Intelligent Epi, Inc
Data Analyst (December 2018 – February 2019)
Engaged local community public health professionals at the Harris County Public Health Department (Greater Houston, Texas area) in developing a adaptable return on investment model for their One Breath at a Time school based asthma intervention program. Drafted project plan conducted in-depth literature review, and developed analysis plan. Collected relevant data, and using basic linear regression, developed a return on social investment model for the stakeholder to populate as the program matures. Presented model, data dictionary, and guidebook to Department director.
DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE CDC NCEH/ATSDR PFAS RESEARCH AGENDA
Intelligent Epi, Inc
Subject Matter Expert (November 2018 – August 2019)
Using the ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Perfluoroalkyls as a starting place, assessed research needs and knowledge gaps related to PFAS with an emphasis on exposure, health effects, toxicological mechanism of action, risk assessment, and mitigation strategies. Identified overall research needs and priorities, including an assessment of how these priorities align with the NCEH/ATSDR mission and congressional mandate. Identified opportunities for collaboration with federal partners and establish NCEH/ATSDR’s role in the larger federal PFAS landscape. Developed a 3-5-year research plan, including an approximate budget for proposed activities.
INNOVATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORIES
National Academy of Sciences
Visiting Scientist (November 2017 – Present)
Facilitated development of laboratory best practices manual. Attended workshop in Bangkok, Thailand and provided digital health expertise on the public health use of block chain for laboratory supply management. Supported development of three chapters. Discussed implementation strategies for the manual in Doha, Qatar.