San Diego, July 5, 2023 — We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Lotus McDougal, PhD, MPH and Kathryn Barker, ScD, MPH to the leadership team of the UCSD Center on Gender Equity and Health. Dr. McDougal and Dr. Barker will play key roles in shaping the center’s vision, developing new streams of work, promoting inclusive policies, and overseeing the implementation of programs and initiatives. “Both Lotus and Kate bring extensive experience in strategies to advance gender equity through their research and commitment to translating evidence into action,” notes GEH Co-Executive Director, Rebecka Lundgren.

Dr. Lotus McDougal has been part of GEH since its inception in 2013.  She joins us on the leadership team as the Director of Gender Data and Metrics, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise in measure development, large-scale survey analysis, monitoring, learning and evaluation, and collaborative partnerships. Lotus holds a PhD in Global Health, has a background in reproductive and maternal health, gender equity, and gender-based violence, and has successfully led initiatives in numerous countries across South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. She will be instrumental in leading the Center’s work to bolster the availability and application of gender-focused data and measures, as well as the implementation of rigorous and intersectional approaches to gender equity-focused global research initiatives.

Dr. Kathryn Barker first joined GEH in 2018 and will assume the role of GEH Director of Collective Engagement and Learning, contributing to the Center’s vision of inclusive leadership and learning amongst our Center’s global faculty, staff, and affiliates. Kathryn holds a PhD in social and behavioral sciences from the Harvard School of Public Health and has a demonstrated track record of successful global implementation and research collaborations that promote health and gender equity among underserved populations. With her background in social epidemiology and experience in evaluation, epidemiologic study design, and scaling of evidence-based interventions, she will be instrumental in building the Center’s research portfolio in population-level evaluation and policy translation for program sustainability and impact.

“We are delighted to welcome Lotus and Kate to the Center’s leadership team,” said UCSD Co-Executive Director, Katherine Hay.  “Their impressive backgrounds, dedication to gender equity, and deep technical skills will absolutely strengthen our focus and work as GEH moves into its second decade.”