February 3, 2025

Interview: DrGH Student Zahra Zeinali on Winning Young Professional Award for Her Work in Gender Equality in Health Policy and Systems

Zahra Zeinali, MD, MPH, is a third-year student in the Doctor of Global Health Leadership and Practice (DrGH) program at the University of Washington. In November 2024, she was awarded the Societal Awards Young Professional Award by Health Systems Global and the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research for her impact in advancing gender equality in health policy and systems research. In this interview, Zahra discusses with Ana Lucia Castillo, MD, a second-year Master of Public Health student in the Department of Global Health, how her background as a physician and a decade spent researching and advocating for gender equality in public health has influenced her work. Zahra also shares advice for early career professionals interested in global health and social justice. 

Photo: Dr. Rumana Huque (right), professor at University of Dhaka and governance board member at Health Systems Global presenting Dr. Zahra Zeinali (left) with the Societal Awards Young Professional Award.