Professor Esperanza Martinez

Dr Esperanza Martinez joined the Australian National University (ANU) in 2023 as Professor of Practice and Head of Health and Human Security, following more than 20 years’ experience in international humanitarian, health and crisis leadership.

Before joining ANU, Esperanza held senior roles at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva. As Head of Health, she led a global portfolio spanning more than 80 countries. She later led multidisciplinary crisis teams responding to COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, and helped steer a major organisation-wide transformation.

At ANU, Esperanza co-chairs the Lancet Commission on Health, Conflict and Forced Displacement. Her research, education and policy work examines how health interacts with armed conflict, geopolitics, climate change, emerging technologies and national security. She works across disciplines and sectors to understand these relationships, develop practical responses and build the skills needed to address them. She is particularly interested in how institutions make decisions and work together amid uncertainty and change.