Rifat Atun, MBBS, MBA, FRCP, FRCGP, FFPH

Global Public Health – Professor Rifat Atun, MBBS MBA DIC FRCGP FFPH FRCP

Dr. Atun is Professor of Global Health Systems and the Director of the Health System Innovation Lab at Harvard University at Harvard University. In 2008-12 he was a member of the Executive Management Team of the Global Fund as the Director of Strategy, Performance and Evaluation, where he chaired the panel that made investment decisions for ~$4-5billion each year in 120+ countries.

Professor Atun’s research focuses on health systems performance, design and innovation. He has published more than 450 articles in leading journals including NEJM, Nature Medicine, Lancet, Lancet Oncology, JAMA, and Academy of Management Journal. He has led and participated in 15 Lancet Commissions. In 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 he was recognised by Web of Science/Clarivate as one of the World’s Most Highly Cited Researchers.

In 2019-20 Professor Atun has served as a senior advisor to the G20 Presidency and the co-chair of the T20 Health Track and the Task Force on Global Health Security and COVID-19 for the G20 Indonesian Presidency. He has been serving as a member of the Longitude Prize Committee, one of the largest science prizes in the world, and the Research Advisory Committee for the Public Health Foundation of India since 2013. He is a Member of Singapore Ministry of Health Regulatory Advisory Panel, and a Member of Innovation Board for the Ministry of Innovation of Bulgaria.

Prof. Atun is a founder and the Board Chair of Movement Health Foundation, a Swiss foundation that supports innovations aimed at solving major global health challenges. He is also the Founding President of the Global Surgery Foundation based in Geneva. He has been a founder and director of new health technology ventures and is an active investor as a partner in venture capital fund based in San Francisco.

Dr Atun has advised many governments on health system reforms, the World Bank, WHO and leading health and life science companies. He was a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine Committee on Health Systems, and the Advisory Boards of WHO Research Centre for Health Development in Japan the Norwegian Research Council’s Programme for Global Health Research and the UK Medical Research Council’s Global Health Group.

Prof. Atun was the Founding Director of the MSc in International Health Management, BSc in Management and Medical Science, and Founding Co-Director of the Masters in Public Health (MPH) Programmes at Imperial College. He has been a founding director and is an active investor in health technology companies. He also advises new ventures operating in these areas.

Professor Atun studied medicine at University of London as a Commonwealth Scholar. He subsequently completed his postgraduate training in family medicine and public health in London.