Professor Kamalini Lokuge, OAM, HOSM, leads the Humanitarian Health Research Initiative at the Australian National University. Dr Lokuge and her team conduct operational research in partnership with communities and service providers to inform effective health service delivery and prevention. Her appointment at the ANU allows for an opportunity to link lessons learnt in the field to traditional research activities to inform an evidence base and achieve better outcomes for those living in the most challenging circumstances. The Humanitarian Health Research Initiative also places emphasis on building sustainable capacity for responding to existing and future humanitarian challenges. 

Dr Lokuge is a public health physician and medical epidemiologist and has worked for Médecins Sans Frontières, the World Health Organisation and the International Committee of the Red Cross over the past 25 years in a range of humanitarian emergencies. She has advised State and Federal governments on their response to COVID-19, and was a member of Australia’s National COVID-19 Health and Research Advisory Committee from 2020-2021. She has received the following awards for her work: Medal of the Order of Australia (2010), Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal (2019), Royal Australasian College of Physicians International Medal (2020), ANU Vice-Chancellor's Award for Impact and Engagement (2020), ANU Alumnus of the Year(2021).