Helen Elizabeth O.

Helen Elizabeth O. currently serves as Deputy Director of Special Initiatives at the Gates Foundation, facilitating strategic health initiatives since September 2021. Previous interim roles included Deputy Director for Strategy, Planning & Management, focusing on nutrition and global development from March to October 2024. With extensive experience in global health research management, Helen has held senior positions, including Senior Manager at the Institute for Disease Modeling and Senior Manager at Medic, where leadership in monitoring, evaluation, and learning was highlighted. Helen's academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts (Honors, Magna Cum Laude) in Geography and Public Health from the University of Washington and PhD coursework in Geography at Rutgers University, with ongoing doctoral studies in Human Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington.