Martyna Hogendorf

My passion for public health was sparked from an early age by observing my grandfather’s experience living with a chronic illness. I built an academic foundation in nutrition and epidemiology, and pursued research roles in public health institutes and the UN to gain a grounding in health research and evidence-based policy making. I joined the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland in 2019 and focused my work on strengthening health systems to improve services for noncommunicable diseases, to improve health equity worldwide.
To further my career and grow as a global health leader, I began doctorate studies in public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2022. The Marina van Damme grant has supported me in this endeavor by funding two important courses focused on public health policy and leadership. The grant has put me on track to conduct implementation research to inform the scale up of noncommunicable disease programmes in low and middle-income countries – a small step towards an equitable future, and a valuable opportunity for my own professional growth.