The team
Dr. Lilian Otiso Executive Director, LVCT Health and Principal Investigator for the C-it DU-it Project
Dr. Lilian Otiso is Executive Director of LVCT Health, a Kenyan NGO that carries out research and implements HIV, sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health, sexual violence prevention, mental health, health systems strengthening and community health programs reaching over 1 million individuals across Kenya annually. She has managed grants from various donors including USAID, CDC, UK government, UN agencies and various foundations. She is a Medical Doctor with an MBA in Health Care Management with over 15 years’ program management and research experience in government and NGO sectors. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Global Health at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. She is a fellow of the inaugural Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa 2018 program and winner of the Trocaire Oscar Romero award 2021 for protecting vulnerable communities during COVID-19. She is a member of various national and international technical working groups, has contributed to Kenyan and global WHO guidelines and provided technical support for policy development. She has published several peer reviewed articles and documents.
Dr. Hellen Barsosio KEMRI, Co-Principal Investigator for the C-it DU-it Project
Dr. Hellen Barsosio is one of the Co-Principal Investigator for the C-it DU-it: Community Data Use for Integrated ANC project. In her role as Assistant Principal Clinical Research Scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute’s Centre for Global Health Research (KEMRI-CGHR), she brings extensive experience leading maternal and newborn health research. Under the C-it DU-it project, Dr. Barsosio collaborates with LVCT Health and other partners to co-design and implement innovative community-based interventions aimed at strengthening health systems and improving the quality and accessibility of maternal healthcare. Her work emphasizes the pivotal role of community health systems in advancing maternal health outcomes, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Dr. Barsosio is also a Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellow (2025–2030), further highlighting her commitment to advancing science, innovation, and leadership in global health.
Professor Miriam Taegtmeyer LSTM UK, Co-Principal Investigator
Prof. Miriam Taegtmeyer is Head of the Department of Clinical Sciences and co-Director of the Institute of Resilient Health Systems at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. A consultant physician specializing in infectious diseases, she leads implementation research that strengthens health systems and improves equitable access to care. Her work has informed WHO policies and Ministry of Health guidelines on HIV testing, lung health, vaccination, and community health across sub-Saharan Africa. She has successfully transferred innovations from the Global South to the UK, including rapid HIV testing and community-led approaches to vaccine equity. With extensive leadership experience in research and health systems, she is recognized for mentoring, collaboration, and advancing resilient healthcare. In 2015, she was named among the Graduate Institute’s 300 Women Leaders in Global Health.