Vanessa Abokoma Quaye
MSc International Health and Tropical Medicine, 2025
Dr Vanessa Abokoma Quaye is a medical doctor from Ghana and a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of Oxford, pursuing an MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine at the Nuffield Department of Medicine and a member of Green Templeton College. She is passionate about strengthening health systems and advancing equity across Africa through education, leadership, and collaborative policy innovation.
With experience spanning both primary and tertiary healthcare, Vanessa provides patient-centred care in internal medicine, paediatrics, and obstetrics. These encounters revealed the consequences of health illiteracy and inequity, inspiring her drive to make healthcare more understandable and accessible. Her work now extends beyond clinical practice to health-system strengthening, implementation research, and community health leadership. She has contributed to regional studies such as the SABR Study on surgical access in sub-Saharan Africa and research exploring sociocultural attitudes toward breast-cancer reconstruction.
Vanessa is the founder and Executive Director of Medtransitions Ghana, which mentors and equips early-career doctors for clinical excellence, and leads the Step Up Mentoring Programme, training young professionals in leadership and communication. Through The Health Plug Network, she connects communities to credible health information and affordable wellness services, advancing preventive care and public-health awareness.
Her contributions have been recognised by the TIBA Partnership and the West Lion Co 35 Under 35 Female Innovator Award. At Oxford, she is expanding her expertise in implementation science, global health leadership, and policy, working to co-create evidence-based, contextually grounded solutions that improve access, quality, and sustainability of healthcare across Africa.
Contact: vanessa.quaye@gtc.ox.ac.uk
MSc International Health and Tropical Medicine, 2025
Ambele Judith Mwamelo is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of Oxford, pursuing an MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine and a member of Green Templeton College.
Ambele is an emerging global health leader from Tanzania with experience spanning research, service delivery, and policy development across national and regional levels. Most recently, she worked as a Country Support Manager for HIV prevention at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), where she supported Ministries of Health and partners in introducing new long-acting HIV prevention technologies. Her work covered several high-burden countries in Africa, including Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia.
Previously, Ambele worked as a consultant at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, where she supported the development and monitoring of National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR). As a regional trainer-of-trainers, she contributed to capacity-building in costing and budgeting to support resource mobilisation and domestic financing. A career highlight was her contribution to the 2023–2030 Regional AMR Strategy, which was endorsed by Member States and secured high-level political commitments across the region.
Earlier in her career, Ambele worked in community-based HIV programmes and public health research. She has co-authored publications on AMR and other health topics, and contributed to national, regional, and global policy documents.
Ambele holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Edinburgh and a BA in Public Health: Biological Studies, Gender and Cultural Dynamics from St Olaf College in the United States.
After Oxford, she aims to take on a technical advisory role supporting the development of sustainable, scalable, and locally owned health policies. Her long-term goal is to hold a leadership position within a multilateral organisation, advancing Africa’s health agenda in a shifting global health landscape.
Outside of work, Ambele enjoys new challenges and is currently learning both French and Mixed Martial Arts.
MSc International Health and Tropical Medicine, 2024
I hold a Medical Doctor (MD) degree from the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia.
Prior to pursuing the MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine, I worked at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Indonesia (OUCRU Indonesia) as a Research Physician in a phase II whole sporozoite malaria vaccine trial from which I published an article of the trial’s implementation.
Shortly after, I shifted role to Clinical Research Coordinator for a COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness study in collaboration with Universitas Gadjah Mada and the US CDC where I managed all of the research activities, from protocol development to data analysis. Additionally, I managed and oversee the clinical safety in all of the ongoing clinical trials within OUCRU Indonesia. In 2023, I was awarded the Indonesian Endowment Fund scholarship to pursue a master’s degree.
My research interests include sexual and reproductive health, period poverty, WASH, and infectious diseases of poverty.
I love 80s music and trying out new foods.
Contact: Khoriah.Indrihutami@gtc.ox.ac.uk
MSc International Health and Tropical Medicine, 2023
I have completed my Master’s of Physiotherapy degree specializing in Neurosciences from India (2021).
With my professional experience, I have realized that decentralization of specialist care requires multi-level interventions, from problem identification to long-term policy development and implementation. In line with this, the MSc IHTM would provide me with a wide range of methods, connecting macro-level policies with micro-level challenges in social interventions.
Post MSc I aim to explore how different societies cater to the needs of individuals with disabilities and engage with emerging technologies with the potential to democratize rehabilitation services.
My motivation stems from the desire to ensure that no one is deprived of the healthcare services they need, fostering a world where every individual’s journey to recovery is supported and empowered.
Contact: rasika.bombatkar@gtc.ox.ac.uk
MSc International Health and Tropical Medicine, 2022
I am a young professional who is on a mission to improve management and coordination of cervical cancer services in order to reduce related mortality in low income countries such as Malawi. I worked as a Social Worker with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in a cervical cancer clinic at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital for three years where I gained insight into the gaps in the delivery and management of existing services. These deficiencies have led to devastating physical, mental and social consequences. As a result, I have become motivated to take action by studying for an MSc in International health and Tropical Medicine at Oxford where I will gain the necessary competencies to help improve the situation in Malawi.
During my time with MSF, I established the first patient support group for patients on chemotherapy, developed a peer support program, and created a patients’ rights charter which were all aimed at improving the psychosocial conditions of patients.
Outside of Public health, I am interested in development; particularly the intersections of health and development. In my free time I can be found listening to music, playing board games with some friends or watching what is described as ‘Trash TV’.
Contact: daisy.mpando@gtc.ox.ac.uk
MSc International Health and Tropical Medicine
2021
I am studying for an MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine at the University of Oxford, fully funded by the ExxonMobil scholarship in Global Health.
I am a pharmacist from Nigeria, and I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Ibadan, where I graduated with distinction. Afterwards, I was awarded a University Merit Scholarship to study the Postgraduate Certificate in Global Health (online) by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM, UK), which I completed in May 2021.
I am passionate about Global Health, with specific interest in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Infectious Diseases. My team was one of the 11 winning teams selected worldwide for the 2018 Innovate4AMR global competition hosted by the World Health Organization, ReAct, South Centre, Johns Hopkins IDEA Initiative and the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association. I have also volunteered in several positions with the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF), including serving as the Assistant General Secretary for the African Pharmaceutical Symposium (AfPS) in Nigeria.
I have carried out research on AMR, providing AMR surveillance data on Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates obtained from Nigeria’s National Reference Laboratory. Ultimately, I look forward to an exciting career that involves working on Global Health Projects and contributing to research in the field of Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance.
Contact: adeola.bamisaiye@gtc.ox.ac.uk
