Dr. Alarcos Cieza oversees the World Health Organization’s work on vision, hearing, disability and rehabilitation in her position of Unit Head, Sensory Functions, Disability and Rehabilitation. After obtaining her MSc in psychology in Madrid, Spain, she conducted a Master in Public Health and obtained a PhD in Medical Psychology from the Ludwig-Maximillians University in Munich, Germany.

Pauline currently works with the World Health Organization Rehabilitation Programme in Geneva, Switzerland. She was the lead author for the recent WHO publication - Rehabilitation in Health Systems: Guide for Action and is now engaged in development of other WHO resources. Pauline has worked for WHO for 10 years and was the Disability and Rehabilitation Regional Advisor in their Western Pacific Regional Office from 2011 to 2016. She originally trained as a physiotherapist in Australia and has worked in both the rehabilitation and disability service sector in high and low-income countries for 25 years, this has included working in early-childhood intervention, special and inclusive education settings, community-based rehabilitation and other adult rehabilitation services.

At Results for Development, Emma Brainerd supports projects relating to health systems strengthening and health financing reform. Under the Accelerator project, Emma works to strengthen health systems for accessible rehabilitation services in Georgia, and to facilitate global learning on improving health financing functions for rehabilitation. Ms. Brainerd holds a bachelor’s in international studies from Macalester College and is a MA candidate at American University.

At Results for Development, Ms. Chikhradze provides technical and managerial leadership, mainly on health systems and health financing. Under the Accelerator project, Tamara works to strengthen rehabilitation in health systems in Ethiopia and Georgia, and to facilitate global learning on improving health financing functions for rehabilitation. Ms. Chikhradze holds an MSc in health policy, planning and financing from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Maria Francisco is a senior health systems specialist with over 25 years of experience designing, managing and implementing global health initiatives and field-based health programs focused on strengthening local health systems performance in meeting the health needs of vulnerable and underserved groups, and across a range of health systems contexts in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. Ms. Francisco is the technical director for the Health Systems Strengthening Accelerator project.

Daniela Gutiérrez is an international development professional with over eight years of experience in global health research and data analysis. Under the Accelerator project, Daniela works to strengthen rehabilitation services within UHC platforms in Ethiopia. Ms. Gutiérrez holds an MPH from Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health and a BA in public policy and public health from the College of William and Mary.

Adeel Ishtiaq is a senior program officer at Results for Development (R4D) working on global health projects. Under the Accelerator project, Adeel works to strengthen how health financing mechanisms respond to population rehabilitation needs. Mr. Ishtiaq holds a BA in economics from the Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan and an MA in international relations from Yale University.

Reva Alperson is an international development professional with experience implementing health and educational programs in developing countries. Under the Accelerator project, she provides operational support for all activities related to strengthening rehabilitation services. Ms. Alperson holds an MPH from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and a BS in human and organizational development from Vanderbilt University.