Image of Rifat Atun, MD, BS

Rifat Atun, M.B.,B.S.

Vice Dean for Non-Degree Education and Innovation, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Temporary Academic, Harvard Medical School
Julio Frenk Professor of Public Health Leadership, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Faculty Affiliate in the Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
DCE Teaching Support, Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Dr Rifat Atun is Professor of Global Health Systems at Harvard University and the Faculty Chair for the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program.

From 2006- to 2013, Dr Atun was Professor of International Health Management and Head of the Health Management Group at Imperial College London. From 2008 to 2012 he served as a member of the Executive Management Team of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as the Director of Strategy, Performance and Evaluation Cluster, where he chaired the panel that oversaw investments of around $4billion each year in more than 100 countries.

Dr Atun has published more than 400 papers in leading journals including the Lancet, NEJM, Academy of Management Journal, Lancet Global Health, Lancet Infectious Diseases, Lancet Oncology, and Lancet Psychiatry and PLoS Medicine. He has led or has been a commissioner in 12 Lancet Commissions and was a co-author and member of the Advisory Committee for the Editors for Disease Control Priorities (DCP) 3. In 2020, he was recognized by the Web of Science as one of the World’s Highly Cited Researchers.

Prof. Atun has worked with more than 30 governments globally and with the World Bank, World Health Organization, and the UK Department for International Development (DfID) to design, implement and evaluate health system reform initiatives. In 1999-2006 he was a member of the UK DfID Resource Centre for Health Systems.

Dr Atun has led executive education programs and undertaken assignments for major organizations including Novartis, Medtronic, GSK, Pfizer Inc., the Vodafone Group, and Hofmann-La Roche.

Professor Atun’s research has two major strands. The first examines health systems performance and how design and implementation of health system reforms impact on outcomes. The second strand of research explores adoption and diffusion of innovations in health systems (e.g. new health technologies, disease control programmes, and primary healthcare reforms), and innovative financing in global health. Prof. Atun is a co-Investigator and the joint lead for the innovation work stream at the National Centre for Infection Prevention and Management at Imperial College.

He is also a co-Investigator and the Theme Lead for ‘Organisational Change, Health Economics and Evaluation’ at the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit for Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection.

A binary prototype for time-series surveillance and intervention.
Authors: Authors: Olejarz J, Hoffmann T, Zapf A, Mugahid D, Molinaro R, Brown C, Boltyenkov A, Dudykevych T, Gupta A, Lipsitch M, Atun R, Onnela JP, Fortune S, Sampath R, Grad YH.
Epidemics
View full abstract on Pubmed
At the brink of a paradigm shift in early cancer detection: Insights and directions for the modeling community.
Authors: Authors: Karanfil Ö, Aksin Z, Ahmad R, Atun R, Ijzerman M, Kusuma D, Sülz S, Zhu N.
Cancer
View full abstract on Pubmed
Evaluating algorithmic fairness of machine learning models in predicting underweight, overweight, and adiposity across socioeconomic and caste groups in India: evidence from the longitudinal ageing study in India.
Authors: Authors: Lee JT, Hsu SH, Li VC, Anindya K, Chen MH, Wang C, Shen TK, Liu VTN, Chen HH, Atun R.
PLOS Digit Health
View full abstract on Pubmed
Use of traditional medicine for hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia measured in 71 surveys.
Authors: Authors: Sulola MA, Sibai AM, Damasceno A, Issanov A, Sarria-Santamera A, Orazumbekova B, Norov B, Bicaba B, Houehanou C, Guwatudde D, Kagaruki GB, Gathecha G, Jorgensen JA, Mwangi KJ, Agoudavi K, Sturua L, Mayige MT, Gurung M, Hwalla N, Lunet N, Mwalim O, McClure RW, Quesnel-Crooks S, Bahendeka S, Atun R, Bärnighausen T, Davies J, Flood D, Geldsetzer P, Jaacks L, Manne-Goehler J, Theilmann M, Vollmer S, Marcus ME.
Bull World Health Organ
View full abstract on Pubmed
Assessing differences in country-level estimates of maternal mortality: a comparison of GMatH, UN, and GBD model results for 2020.
Authors: Authors: Ward ZJ, Atun R, King G, Sequeira Dmello B, Goldie SJ.
EClinicalMedicine
View full abstract on Pubmed
Public and philanthropic research funding, publications, and research networks for cancer in the Commonwealth and globally between 2016 and 2023: a comparative analysis.
Authors: Authors: Du A, Brede M, McIntosh SA, Zhang B, Alem AO, Borin G, Cheah W, Copson E, Cutress RI, Folz A, Helms ET, Memon Z, Olaniran OH, Savva C, Thomas E, Atun R, Head MG.
Lancet Oncol
View full abstract on Pubmed
Surgical health policy 2025-35: strengthening essential services for tomorrow's needs.
Authors: Authors: Nepogodiev D, Picciochi M, Ademuyiwa A, Adisa A, Agbeko AE, Aguilera ML, Agyei F, Alexander P, Henry J, Anyomih TTK, Aregawi AB, Atun R, Biccard B, Chalwe M, Chu K, Coomarasamy A, Crawford R, Darzi A, Davies J, Gathuya Z, George C, Ghaffar A, Ghosh D, Glasbey JC, Haque PD, Harrison EM, Hesse A, Allen Ingabire JC, Kamarajah SK, Karekezi C, Kruger D, Lapitan MC, Latif A, Lawani I, Ledda V, Li E, Linder C, Makasa E, Martin J, Maswime S, Mathai S, Meara JG, Mudede-Moffat F, Ntirenganya F, Park KB, Phelan LN, Pramesh CS, Ramos-De la Medina A, Raykar N, Rivello R, Roslani AC, Roy N, Samad L, Shrime M, Sobhy S, Sullivan R, Tabiri S, Tangi V, Tissingh E, Weiser TG, Williams O, Bhangu A.
Lancet
View full abstract on Pubmed
Evaluation of performance of generative large language models for stroke care.
Authors: Authors: Lee JT, Li VC, Wu JJ, Chen HH, Su SS, Chang BP, Lai RL, Liu CH, Chen CT, Tanapima V, Shen TK, Atun R.
NPJ Digit Med
View full abstract on Pubmed
Benchmarking infrastructure for cancer control in Commonwealth countries: a population-based observational study.
Authors: Authors: Reddy CL, Sousa C, Atun R.
Lancet Oncol
View full abstract on Pubmed
Impact of suboptimal cancer care in the Commonwealth: a scoping review and call to action.
Authors: Authors: Thibodeau S, Yan M, Sirohi B, Atun R, Moraes FY.
Lancet Oncol
View full abstract on Pubmed