Dr Ariana Zeka
Lecturer

Summary

I am currently an academic at Brunel University, UK, and an adjunct faculty of the Department of Public Health, Medical University of Tirana, Albania. I trained and worked as a medical doctor at the University of Tirana, Albania, and carried out volunteer work as a physician in remote and impoverished areas of the country (1989-1997). I hold a MSc in Environmental Sciences and Policy from the University of Manchester, UK (1998), and a Doctor of Science in Epidemiology (ScD) from the University of Massachusetts, USA (2003). I held Postdoctoral positions in Epidemiology at IARC/WHO, France (2002), and Harvard School of Public Health, USA (2003-2006). I have been the recipient of several awards, including scholarships from the Open Society Institute (1997, 1998); a 5-year fellowship (1998), and the “Margaret R. Becklake Award” for my doctoral research (2003) from the University of Massachusetts; the runner-up of the Irish Health Care Awards 2014 for a study I led.

I have worked for about 20 years in the field of environmental epidemiology and population health. Main areas of my work include the assessment of population health effects of environmental exposures; environmental, health and social inequalities; the evaluation of public policy and intervention effects on population health; climate change and health, and climate change and migration; capacity building in the field of environmental health in developing countries; creating opportunities for research infrastructures in environment and public health in Europe. I have led several collaborative research projects and initiatives, and collaborate with a wide international network of academics, public health and policy authorities. My research work spans across several regions, including Europe, USA, Ireland, China, Malawi, Oman and international studies. I act as a reviewer for many scientific journals and funding bodies.

One of the main goals of my work is to inform public health policy. Therefore, I work very closely with public authorities and national institutes of public health in several countries, and I act as scientific advisor on issues of environment and health for several national institutes of public health including the UK, Italy, Ireland, Albania, Georgia, China; and the World Health Organization. I am member of scientific committees and advisory boards of several European and National programs/projects in environmental public health.

EDUCATION

2003-2006  Postdoctoral Research Associate, Epidemiology. Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of                          Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

2003            ScD, Doctor of Science in Epidemiology (Major). University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA

2002            Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Epidemiology. Unit of Environmental Epidemiology, International Agency                            for Research on Cancer/World Health Organisation, Lyon, France

1998            MSc, Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Policy. University of Manchester, UK

1994            MD, Degree in Medicine (Medical Doctor). Faculty of Medicine, University of Tirana, Albania

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

2011            Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. Brunel University London, UK

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

1994-1997  Health care assessment and physician volunteer in remote and impoverished areas, Albania

1994-1997  General Practitioner, University Hospital Center, Tirana, Albania